Stars Hollow Trivia Lorelai Wins!
by Jmaka
Summary: Here we go again. The third version of the Story That Would Not Die! A friendly wager, a town event but this time Lorelai wins and Luke finds himself a fish out of water keeping up his end of the bet.
1. Small Town Charm

Okay here we go again. The final story in the trilogy, the hat trick if you will, the last of the unholy trinity of stories that has consumed my life for the past year and a half.

Once again don't think you can squeak by not reading the opening chapters, particularly with this story because this one, though it has elements from stories past, changes start in chapter one.

This story will still contain smut, smut and oh yeah more smut, so once again no kiddies please. Again I do not want to be responsible for teaching sexual technique to young'uns!

I have to admit, this story scares me more than the other two. This is the third time (and so far the last but never say never) that I have gone to the well with this particular plotline. Hopefully, and I think not, the well has not run dry. This has been outlined for months so any similarity to some other plot point is totally accidental. Given the small world of Gilmore canon, it shouldn't surprise people that authors may hit on similar themes. I have not read much of the Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda series that I believe touches on them so I wouldn't be colored by another author's interpretation.

Last note: Due to the smut, the characters again may seem a little AU at times. There ain't no way around it so either live with it or don't read but yes I am aware. I'll try to keep them as close as possible.

Setting: Season 4 after Nicole, no Jason and the Inn is not open yet.

* * *

Small Town Charm

Lorelai walked down the street breathing in the fresh spring air. She loved this time of the morning. She walked past Taylor's soda shop. Yes, the sun was shining, the birds were singing….

"Taylor, I swear one day I am gonna kill you," Luke declared literally erupting from the shop.

….and the townsfolk were fighting. Yep, another glorious day. Lorelai stopped to watch. She shifted the large tote bag she carried to the other shoulder.

"Luke, you don't have to display anything," Taylor argued following him out. "Just participate. As part of the town's business community, it is your duty to do this."

Lorelai watched Luke closely. She loved watching him rant. His face was so animated, his eyes blazing with emotion. He was usually so guarded, so unflappable which made these outbursts all the more special. She sometimes deliberately provoked him herself because of the rush it gave her when she got him to respond like this.

"Taylor, I didn't even go to the crazy town meeting where you proposed this harebrained stunt! I've never participated in these things. What makes you think I'm going to now?" He noticed Lorelai standing off to the side watching the argument with a slight smile on her face. Her smile got bigger when she realized he was looking at her.

"Nothing like a town rant first thing in the morning," she interjected with a grin.

"Don't," Luke warned her, knowing her stance on town events.

Lorelai knew exactly what he was ranting about. She had attended the town meeting where Taylor proposed having a Stars Hollow Trivia contest. The meeting attendees unanimously agreed it might be fun and Taylor quickly defined the contest. He had compiled a list of questions ranging from legend to actual history, current events and past happenings and events in the town. Whoever had the highest score would win. Taylor proposed silly prizes like free ice cream for a month or the keys to the city but he emphasized it would come down to bragging rights by one person in the town.

Certain establishments in the town would be "testing centers" where people could spend time taking the test. Luke's being one of the more popular places was immediately suggested. Even though most of the town were dead certain that Luke wouldn't want his place of business used for a town event, Taylor had been sure he could convince him otherwise.

Taylor was wrong.

"I can't believe you thought I would go along with this," Luke ranted at Lorelai as he made his way back to the diner. She trailed after him, grinning to herself as the rant transferred itself to her. "Why didn't you stop him?"

"Well," Lorelai admitted, "one, it's always fun to see you and Taylor go at it. I could sell tickets. Two, your rants are legendary. Sometimes you outdo yourself. I try to predict how high your blood pressure goes when you are screaming at Taylor. It reminds me of those things that pop out of turkeys when they are done."

"Your concern for my health is touching," he said sarcastically. They entered the diner and Lorelai sat at the counter as Luke rounded it. She dropped the heavy bag to the floor as Luke grabbed a mug, slammed it down and filled it with coffee before she could say a word.

"What no lecture on coffee intake today?" Lorelai asked, surprised

"Hell, if you are gonna watch me rant myself into an aneurysm, I am gonna take you down with me by feeding you coffee. Then we'll be even," Luke declared.

"Sometimes you can be so dark," Lorelai quipped, encouraging him. "I like it."

"Thank you."

Lorelai sipped her coffee. "Are you sure you don't want to do this?" she asked with a sly grin.

Luke leaned over the counter until he was at eye level. "Have I ever participated in one of this town's crazy events?" The full force of Luke's eyes unnerved Lorelai and suddenly sent her heart pounding. Sometimes the way Luke looked at her made her feel all fluttery inside.

"Well, no," Lorelai backed off a little but recovered quickly. "Okay so you don't allow people to take the test here. Will you at least participate? Flex that mighty brain and show people how smart you are?"

"Answering questions about this crazy town, its history and the stupid legends hardly proves me to be smart," Luke disagreed. "It's useless trivia."

"Fine, so you're not a font of useless trivia. You're not a veritable cultural wasteland of unnecessary information," Lorelai chided. "Would it hurt you to break out of your hermit hole and actually have some fun?"

"I have fun," Luke pointed out. "Just because I don't parade around with the townspeople does not mean I am dull. I can have fun by myself or in smaller groups."

"Okay, fun by yourself--dirty!" Lorelai said laughingly then conceded. "If you want to be a hermit—fine! Go ahead and be like the Unabomber, I won't stop you. I don't know why you distance yourself from everyone in the town."

Luke threw up his hands. "I don't want all those people in here. Most of them aren't going to order anything so they'll just take up all my tables."

"Fine," Lorelai soothed him. "You don't have to offer your diner as a testing site. We have K.C.'s and Weston's."

Luke snorted and turned away as Miss Patty entered the diner. She sashayed up to the counter and observed Luke slamming things around behind the counter. She sat down next to Lorelai.

"I told Taylor he'd refuse," Miss Patty sighed shaking her head. "Maybe if you talked to him…" If anyone could get Luke to do something it was Lorelai.

"He already shot me down," Lorelai confirmed. "But I am trying to get him to at least take the test for fun."

"Oh Luke," Miss Patty pleaded. "You have to at least do that."

"Sorry, Patty," Luke replied as he walked over and gave her a menu. "There's nothing you can do to change that."

"Well," Miss Patty shrugged. "We won't make you do it if you don't want to." She gazed at Lorelai who had half her attention on her coffee, the other half on Luke. "You'll be there at K.C.'s on Saturday won't you Lorelai? And maybe bring Rory?"

"I'll be there but Rory probably won't be coming home this weekend. You know how it is with finals coming up in a month," Lorelai said. "She comes home so seldom now."

"I'm sorry she won't make it," Patty said sadly. "But I'm glad you'll be there. Since Rory has been at school and you've been working to get the Inn together, we hardly see you anymore. It's like you've become a hermit."

Lorelai nearly spit out her coffee hearing Patty call her a hermit. She had just called Luke the same thing not five minutes earlier. She glanced at Luke and seeing him smirk, knew that he was thinking the same thing.

"Distancing yourself from the town," Luke tsked shaking his head in mock-reproach. "People will think you're like the Unabomber."

Lorelai narrowed her eyes at Luke. "I know I haven't had time for anything else lately because I've been busy with the Inn," Lorelai answered Patty, indicating the bag at her feet. "Sookie and I have been busy making decisions on furnishing and decorating The Dragonfly." She stared right into Luke's eyes as she stated, "But you can count on me," she said emphasizing the word me. "I'll be there."

"Good, good," Patty nodded, noticing the look between Luke and Lorelai and wondered about it. "I'll think you'll have a good time."

Lorelai continued to stare into Luke's eyes, throwing down the gauntlet, daring him to show up Saturday. "I wouldn't miss it for the world." She drained her coffee cup and dropped some money on the counter. As she hefted her bag once again, she nodded to the two of them. "Off to Sookie's," she gave them a jaunty wave as she left the diner.

Lorelai struggled with the bag as she made her way to Sookie's. She mentally ran over the details they needed to cover and it was a lengthy list. The past few times they had gotten together had been disasters. Sookie was embracing motherhood as she should be but unfortunately it left little time for anything else. Lorelai didn't resent the extra time Sookie spent with Davey, it just made her even more of a silent partner than Lorelai wished. She needed some input from Sookie since this was a joint venture, but so far she was going it alone.

Lorelai headed up the walk to Sookie's house, through the porch door and lightly rapped on the front door. "Sookie?" she called as she tentatively opened the door.

Sookie appeared in the living room looking extremely tired. "Hey," she greeted Lorelai with absolutely no enthusiasm.

"Are you okay?" Lorelai asked, concerned. She already had a sinking feeling about this get-together.

"I'm fine," she yawned. "Just took a while to get Davey to sleep last night. And after his three o'clock feeding," she added. "But he's sleeping now and I'm rarin' to go!"

"Uh-huh," Lorelai replied noncommittally. "Looks like you could use a little nap."

"No, no!" she gestured for Lorelai to sit down. "We may as well get started now." She set the baby monitor on the end table.

"Yeah, before you fall asleep."

Sookie giggled. "Don't be silly! Let me see what you've got."

Lorelai emptied out her bag, putting catalogs and sample books as well as decorating magazines on the table. "We need to make some decisions on fixtures, wallpaper, type of doors and carpeting today."

"Wow," Sookie's eyes went wide at the amount of material Lorelai had put out and how long it was going to take to get through everything. "That's a lot of decisions for one day," she observed.

"Well the past few times we've gotten together, we haven't been able to get much done," Lorelai pointed out barely managing to keep the accusing tone out of her voice.

"There's so much," she said obviously overwhelmed. "Maybe you should pick out what you like."

"Sookie we're partners," Lorelai objected. She didn't want the burden of deciding everything. She needed some input other than her own. "We need to make these decisions together and soon,"

"Can't you narrow it down to the things you like? You're better at this than I am," she slumped in her chair. "I'm just so tired."

Almost as on cue, whimpers sounded on the baby monitor, increasing in volume. Sookie groaned and looked at Lorelai apologetically. Lorelai inclined her head, indicating that Sookie should go check on her son.

Lorelai sighed after Sookie left the room. This wasn't working out the way she imagined at all. She thought they would plan things out, carefully choosing materials, furnishings and appointments they both liked to make The DragonFly a five-star quality establishment that people would flock to. But doing it on her own, she wasn't sure she could handle it by herself.

Sookie's voice sounded over the monitor. "What's wrong Davey, huh?" she cooed to the baby. "Aw, does Davey have a wet tushy? We'll take care of that sweetheart."

Lorelai smiled in spite of herself, listening to Sookie mother her son. It was hard to be upset with her; she remembered enjoying the mother-child bonding over simple things like changing Rory's diapers, dressing her or just talking to her. It was a special time, the making of memories that were only to be experienced for a short time. As she already knew, children grew up and fast. She hoped Sookie would have the same experiences, making memories she would treasure forever.

"Look who decided to join us," Sookie said, carrying Davey out in his bouncy seat. She set him on the other side of the cluttered table, facing the pair. "Okay," she said settling herself again. "Let's get started."

Even though Lorelai had her doubts, she pushed onward. "Alright, I have some wallpaper samples here. I was thinking of one these for the lobby." She fanned out eight samples.

"Hmm," Sookie once again looked a little overwhelmed. "They're all nice." She pondered for a minute. "Which one do you like?"

"Sookie," Lorelai tried to keep the impatience out of her voice. "I like them all too. I'm looking for another opinion here that will help us weed out the duds and pick the right one."

"Sookie?" Jackson called from the kitchen. "Look at what I've got here!" Jackson appeared in the living room, holding some unusually-shaped red object that looked like a tomato. He was momentarily distracted by his son. "Hello Davey," he bent over the seat. "How ya doin today little man?"

Lorelai sat back on the couch, realizing that until Jackson presented whatever it was he was holding. Sookie noticed her movement and shrugged helplessly.

"What is it Jackson?" Sookie asked, indicating the object he held.

"I managed to cross-pollinate a regular tomato plant with a grape tomato plant!" Jackson said excitedly. "Its more pear shaped but it's sweeter than a regular tomato," he gushed enthusiastically. "I think it will put your mozzarella-tomato-basil salad on the map! It could be a signature dish at The DragonFly!" He looked at Lorelai for a reaction.

"If we ever open The DragonFly," Lorelai put in. "If we don't get a move on…"

"Oh, sorry," Jackson said contritely. "I didn't mean to interrupt. Go on with what you were doing," he headed back to the kitchen and seconds later they heard him heading out the door.

"Sorry," Sookie echoed Jackson's apology. "Now, where were we?"

As they both bent over the samples again, Davey let out a piteous wail and began fussing.

"Oh, what now?" Sookie asked shooting a guilty glance at Lorelai. She moved over to her son, trying to figure out his latest upset.

"Maybe he's hungry," Lorelai suggested. She slipped the wallpaper swatches back into the sample book. She began packing up her bag.

"I'm sorry," Sookie said yet again. She had picked Davey up and was bouncing him. She noticed what Lorelai was doing. "Why are you packing up? We haven't made any decisions yet. We aren't finished."

"Oh yes we are," Lorelai countered. Sookie needed to attend to her son. "Don't worry about it. I'll figure something out."

"Maybe if you could narrow down the number of choices…" Sookie repeated, her voice trailing off.

"I'll figure something out," Lorelai reiterated. She was annoyed with the situation but knew there was no help for it. "Take care of Davey."

"You don't have to leave!"

"Honey, you need to feed your son and you need rest," she explained reasonably. She hugged Sookie before hefting her bag once again. "Call me after you've had some rest," Lorelai advised her.

Lorelai let herself out of Sookie's house and headed for home. She knew she would be pouring over sample books for the rest of the day. She sighed, wondering how she would get through the mountain of decisions to be made.

She needed a plan.

* * *

tbc


	2. A Friendly Wager

I truly apologize for the delay. What can I say? Cold, ear ache, fall and eventually there was a field trip to the hospital. But I'm back so I hope you guys still want to read this.

More changes in this chapter. Reviews please if you are so inclined.

* * *

A Friendly Wager

"Michel Girard?" Lorelai asked painting a falsely bright smile on her face.

"Uno momento," replied the man standing behind the desk and went back to talking on his headset. Given his blonde hair and blue eyes, she was sure he was posturing with affected hipness for the clientele. "Name?" he questioned her.

"Lorelai Gilmore."

"He will arrive like the wind." He inclined his head, indicating she should move off to the side.

Lorelai rolled her eyes and gratefully moved away from the main reception. Truth was there were so many people scurrying about she felt better being out of the main traffic pattern. The salon was so pretentious, just like Michel. She had been surprised he was unhappy here and eager to join her and Sookie in their venture.

"What are you doing here?" Michel's voice broke into her thoughts.

"Just looking to rub elbows with Celine Dion and tell her how much you looooove her," Lorelai teased.

"Don't you dare," Michel hissed.

"Okay, okay," she conceded. "I was actually hoping you could help me out."

"With what?" he asked suspiciously.

"I need some help making decisions about the Inn," Lorelai admitted. "Sookie has too much to handle with Davey. Will you help me?"

"Happily, no," Michel sing songed.

"Michel," Lorelai exclaimed, "you're going to be a profit participant! Helping me out will help you out in the long run."

Michel smiled indulgently at her. "Yes, while I look forward to the day I can leave this place and the economic windfall this new position will bring me, I cannot permit myself to get involved in the minutiae your are struggling with now."

"Why not?" Lorelai demanded.

"I know you too well," he frenched. "My taste is Crème Brule while yours peaked at Ho-Ho's. I would never hear the end of it if I chose something you did not like."

"Michel…" she said faintly.

"My break is over," he said turning away from her and retreating down a hallway. He turned back to deliver his parting salvo, "Don't forget to call me once the renovations and the decorating is complete."

Lorelai stamped her foot in annoyance.

* * *

Lorelai dragged herself into K.C.'s. She'd spent an exhausting day trying to make some choices. She had drunk gallons of coffee trying to stay focused on the tasks at hand but was still no closer to making final decisions than when she started out that morning.

She looked around, surprised at how packed the local town watering hole was. Miss Patty had certainly gotten the word out. Most of the town regulars were sitting at tables, having a good time. She spied Miss Patty, Babette and Morey sitting together. She joined them.

"Nice turnout," Lorelai observed as she sat down.

"Yeah, it's nice to get out and socialize, dear," Miss Patty agreed. "We don't do it often enough."

Lorelai refrained from commenting. She knew she was in the company of the two main town gossips. Almost all information came from these two and she was pretty sure that all they did was socialize.

"So Lorelai, doll, ya gonna take the test?" Babette asked.

"Of course!" she said brightly. "I may not beat out you two but I think I'll score pretty high. I'm hoping to beat out Kirk at least."

"Oh, I don't know, Sugah," Babette disagreed. "Kirk knows a lot about this town. Don't let his looks deceive ya."

"Hmmm," Lorelai reconsidered. "Okay, maybe not Kirk, then." She glanced around and spotted Luke walking in and heading to the bar. "Luke!" Lorelai decided. "I bet I can beat out Luke!"

"He said he wouldn't participate," Miss Patty said. She watched Luke order a beer then she looked sideways at Lorelai. She was sure Lorelai's comments the other day had somehow managed to convince him to show up at the bar. She, like most of the town, was secretly rooting that the two of them would get together someday. Patty was sure there was interest on both sides but they persistently ignored it. Maybe with the right encouragement they would finally see what the rest of the town saw. All we have to do is keep them in each other's path, Patty thought. "Maybe you can convince him before Taylor arrives with the tests," she said aloud.

"Hey, I'll give it a shot," Lorelai replied.

Lorelai got up and joined Luke at the bar. She signaled to the bartender and he brought her a beer.

"Hey," she greeted Luke, nudging him before she sat down next to him. "I didn't expect to see you here." She was actually elated and the feeling surprised her. It wasn't often that they could converse socially. Usually he was waiting on her at the diner or they exchanged the occasional greeting as they passed each other in town.

Luke gave her a sidelong glance and shrugged. "Why are you surprised that I'm here?" Luke countered gruffly. "I told you I go out and have fun. I just decided to come watch the current train wreck that Taylor has planned."

Lorelai cocked her head to one side. "Uh-huh," she nodded playing along as if she accepted his answer then gave up the pretense. "Ha! I knew you'd show up here tonight! I talked you into it!"

"You did not talk me into it," Luke argued. "You tried bullying me to come then practically declared that if I didn't I would be the town hermit and forever ostracized. Like I care." He sipped his beer.

"And yet, here you are," she speculated thoughtfully. "Hmmm, maybe you do listen to me." she returned good-naturedly as she nudged him again and then again.

"Stop that," he growled at her. She seemed even more keyed up than she usually was. "What's the matter with you?" he asked. "Aside from your natural flakiness, of course."

"Hey!" she mock pouted at him. "You're lucky someone came over here and sat next to you. Otherwise you would be drinking alone."

"Trust me, I'm fine with that," he replied even though he was secretly happy she had joined him. He noticed she looked a little antsy. "Really, what's up with you? You're behaving strangely even for you."

"Tough day, tough week, tough everything," she sighed. "Too much stuff to do for the Inn and too little of Lorelai. I can't believe I'm saying this but if I have one more cup of coffee…."

"Wow," he remarked, truly surprised. Her tolerance for caffeine seemed limitless. "Can't you get Sookie to help?"

"Sookie is extremely busy with Jackson and a new baby," Lorelai told him. "Every time I go over there it's a bust. I was even desperate enough to try and get Michel to help but he is useless." She stared at him thoughtfully.

"Can't argue with you there," he agreed. "Can't Rory help you? You guys do a lot of crazy stuff together." Luke queried, vainly trying to latch onto some solution to help her out.

"Uh, Yale?" Lorelai reminded him. "She can't support me in my old age if she flunks out of that hoity-toity college she goes to."

"Okay, I'm out," he shrugged.

"I don't want to think about that now. I'm here to have fun," she declared. "So, you gonna take the test?" she asked.

"No." Luke gestured to the bartender to set him up with a shot.

"C'mon, Luke," Lorelai urged him. As the bartender poured the tequila shot, she indicated that she wanted one too. The bartender put the salt shaker and a bowl of lime wedges nearby. She leaned closer. "You know you want to," she said conspiratorially.

"I don't do town events," he declared. He licked his wrist, shook some salt onto it, licked the salt then downed the shot. As he reached for a piece of lime, he saw Lorelai toss back her shot in the same manner. She slammed her glass on the bar and motioned to the bartender to set them up again.

"Loosen up a little," Lorelai wheedled. The bartender brought them both another round of beer and shots. "It might be fun!"

"Taylor Doose come up with something fun?" Luke snorted. "Your idea of fun is pretty strange. Here." He raised his shot and she did the same. "Cheers." They downed the shots together.

"Fine," she conceded after a moment, "but maybe you could just unbend for once. Suck it up, do your civic duty." Her tone was slightly irritated. The tequila was making her bold.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Luke asked. The bartender approached again, but he waved him away. The way he was feeling, he needed to pace himself. "What are you after here?"

"I want you to play so I can beat you," Lorelai confessed.

"No way," Luke snorted again. "I am not doing it."

"Aww, be man, grow a pair," Lorelai said tipsily, elbowing him. "I bet I can kick your ass," she whispered near his ear.

Luke shook his head at her alcohol-fueled bravado. "You wish," he snorted.

"Care to make it interesting?" Lorelai challenged him.

"What a side bet between you and me?" Luke asked, slightly intrigued. "You wanna put money on it?"

"Oh ye of stale, limiting opportunities," Lorelai teasingly mocked him. "Think bigger, bolder. Go crazy!" Lorelai saw him pondering her words and got excited. "The possibilities are limitless! Ooh when you lost you would have to do all the fix-it jobs around my house for a month! Or attend town meetings for a year!"

Her enthusiasm was infectious. Luke was having a hard time keeping up with her chattering. The tequila and the beer had definitely lowered his guard. He found her smiles and hair flips eroding his resistance. He knew under these conditions it would only be a matter of time before he caved; he found his resolve weakening as he stared into her mischievous eyes. Suddenly her last statement sunk into his brain.

"Wait a minute," Luke protested. "If we do this, there should be a time limit." He was not going to attend town meetings for a year. He eyed Lorelai suspiciously. "You'd keep changing your mind about what you wanted anyway. You wouldn't stand firm on the terms."

"I most certainly would!" Lorelai huffed in indignation, hauling herself upright onto her stool. As she met his knowing gaze, her posture sagged and said sheepishly, "Okay, maybe not. We could write our wagers and put them in sealed envelopes! Let's do that now!"

Luke looked at her confused. "Where in the heck are you gonna get envelopes in a bar?"

Lorelai rummaged in her purse and whipped out envelopes. Luke shook his head in disbelief. The junk she carried in her purse. She got two sheets of paper from the bartender and passed one to Luke.

"Where is the pen you take your orders with? Use that," Lorelai prompted.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I don't carry that pen with me," Luke groused at her. Lorelai fished out another pen from her purse and handed it to him. She watched Luke pause, pen poised over the paper, trying to come up with a suitable wager.

"Ask for the moon and the stars bucko. Doesn't matter cuz you are going down," Lorelai predicted. "Down, downtown, lowdown, so down…" she trailed off running out of words.

"You so cannot pull off the trash talk," Luke told her.

"I can so!" Lorelai declared.

"Whatever," Luke shook his head then remembered what they had been talking about. "Time limit. I am not doing some crazy stunt for months on end just for your amusement."

"One month," Lorelai decided. "Deal?"

"Deal," Luke agreed. Lorelai held out her hand. He looked at her before finally grabbing her hand and giving it one firm shake.

"Let's drink on it! One more," Lorelai coaxed him.

"Fine," Luke agreed even though he was already feeling pretty good with what he already had in the short time he had been there.

The bartender set them up again. As they downed their shots and finished off their beer, Taylor walked in with a large envelope.

"Ooh, it's almost time!" she exclaimed loudly clapping her hands in glee. The tequila was giving her a warm glow. "We need to write down our wagers!"

Lorelai settled back on her stool and chewed the end of her pen for a moment then looked over at Luke. What to wager she wondered. She thought about all of the little odd jobs Luke routinely did for her. He already fed her, sometimes three times a day. She scrunched up her face wracking her brain for what she needed most.

The answer came to her quickly but she immediately nixed it. He'd never agree. She looked over at Luke who was sitting at the bar, idly sipping his beer, not overly concerned about writing down a wager. She could see the paper was still blank.

Still the idea persisted. In her slightly fogged state, her mind twisted with devious logic. If she couched her wager just right, if she got him to agree before she had to explain herself…it could work.

"For the next thirty days, Lucas Danes…" she said aloud as she was writing. She gave him an evil grin and finished writing in silence.

Luke watched her as she was writing. She had cupped her hand around the paper so he couldn't see what she wrote. She quickly folded the paper and stuffed it in the envelope and sealed it then wrote her name on it. She gave him an innocent look which dissolved into a dazzling smile, one that made him unconsciously tighten his grip on his beer, affected by her obvious beauty and worried about what hare-brained stunt she had written down.

"C'mon," she urged him. "Write something, anything! This is your big chance!" she told him then got cocky, "Doesn't matter cuz you're not gonna win!" She was practically vibrating she was so keyed up. "Write whatever you want!"

Luke paused, watching her, considering. A slow, evil grin spread across his features and he put pen to paper. As he began writing, Lorelai craned her neck like she was peeking. He copied her method of hiding what he was writing. He quickly finished and stuffed his wager in his envelope. He sealed the envelope and wrote his name on it.

"What do we do with them now?" he asked curiously. He continued giving Lorelai that same evil grin.

"I'll keep 'em!" Lorelai declared. She grinned back at him. She was having fun and realized she was glad he was there. She grabbed Luke's envelope and put them both back in her purse as Taylor walked up to them.

"Hello, Lorelai," he nodded at her then gave another nod. "Luke. Lorelai, do you want to take the test now?" He had noticed that both Luke and Lorelai seemed a little drunk. "You may want to have your wits about you. This test isn't easy."

"We'll be fine," Lorelai proclaimed. "Give us the tests."

"Luke, you're taking the test?" Taylor eyebrows rose in surprise as a smug expression crossed his features. "Well—"

"Shut up Taylor and give me the test before I change my mind," Luke barked at him. He enjoyed barking at Taylor as a matter of principle.

Taylor handed them both a test. "Good luck," he said and walked away.

"No peeking," Lorelai waggled a finger at him.

Luke just gave her a look. He motioned to the bartender to set them up for another round while they both started on the test.

"Wow," Lorelai commented, sipping her beer, "some of these questions are really easy and some of them…Name the first family that founded Stars Hollow? Is Taylor kidding?"

"There are some easy ones," Luke glanced over the test. He rolled his eyes at one of the questions. "In fifty words or less, recount the story behind The Firelight Festival. Oh for the love of…," he groaned.

Lorelai chuckled at his tone. "What business occupied the spot before Luke's Diner?" Lorelai asked. "Well, duh."

"Remind me to yell at Taylor for putting my business in this stupid test," Luke said tossing back another shot.

"Name the manufacturer and product that Stars Hollow is noted for?" Lorelai boggled at the difficulty of the question.

After about fifteen minutes they both finished their tests. As they did so, Taylor glided up and quickly snatched them away. "No comparing answers," Taylor warned. "We'll be announcing the results at the next town meeting," he told them.

"Oh, joy," Luke deadpanned. Lorelai giggled.

"One more drink!" Lorelai declared. She leaned up against Luke. "C'mon, one more."

He was feeling a little fuzzy. Belatedly he realized they were in a public place. He was enjoying the fact that Lorelai was leaning up against him a little too much. She did seem more relaxed than when she first approached him and he considered it a triumph that he had calmed her down. He was afraid he might have to scrape her off the ceiling. As the bartender set them up yet again, Luke said, "Last one."

"Spoilsport," Lorelai pouted.

Once they downed their last shots and finished off their beers, Luke vaguely remembered that he was opening the diner in the morning.

"I have to go," Luke said. He tossed some money next to his glass to cover their drinks and stood up. He hung onto the bar to keep himself steady.

Lorelai's lower lip made an encore appearance as she wordlessly pouted at him again. She got to her feet as well and immediately pitched backward. Luke threw out his arm and pulled her against him, steadying her.

"I think we've both had enough," he said looking down at her.

For a moment they stared into each other's eyes, each quietly wondering what the other was thinking. The press of their bodies against each other had the effect of a splash of cold water, but Luke didn't let her go. Lorelai felt that familiar feeling, that they were having one of those "moments" that seemed to spontaneously pop up whenever they were together.

"You didn't drive did you?" Luke asked finally.

"No, I walked here. And I think I can crawl back," Lorelai bobbed her head as if agreeing with her own words.

"I'll walk you home," Luke offered. Lorelai looked at him strangely that fluttery feeling again taking root inside her. "Just to make sure you make it," he added.

"Who's gonna make sure you make if you make it back to the diner?" Lorelai wondered.

"Don't worry, I know how to crawl too," Luke assured her.

They looked at each other for a minute, completely serious, then burst out laughing and headed towards the door.

"Look at that," Miss Patty nudged Babette. They watched Luke and Lorelai stagger out of the bar, leaning against each other. "Do you think…?"

"Nah, they're too drunk," Babette said regretfully. "But boy, it's nice to dream."

As they walked outside the cool evening air caused them to sober up a bit.

"We can do this," Lorelai giggled but the distance to her house seemed very far.

"Or die trying," Luke laughed.

A car glided smoothly to the curb in front of where they were standing. After a moment, Kirk got out.

"Need a ride?" Kirk asked.

"Kirk?" Lorelai blinked at him in confusion. "What are you doing?"

"I sometimes offer my services as town designated driver," Kirk explained in a no-nonsense voice. "I noticed both you and Luke appear to be a trifle unsteady on your feet probably from imbibing too much alcohol."

"We have not!" Lorelai said indignantly as she swayed into Luke. She relaxed against him, comfortably. "We're fine! We just finished taking the trivia test!" Lorelai announced, as if taking the test proved they were sober.

"Oh," Kirk shook his head, "not the best venue for taking the test. You should have taken it at Weston's like I did earlier in the week. There is no way you could beat me." Kirk prided himself on winning the dance contest every year and this was no different.

"I'm not going to beat you, Kirk," Lorelai admitted, "But I'm going to beat Luke! We bet on it and everything!"

"Really? What did you bet?" Kirk asked, intrigued.

"You'll find out after I win," Lorelai answered smugly.

"Kirk, we don't care about beating you, we don't care about the bet, we care about getting home," Luke piped up. In the short time they had been standing there, he decided he couldn't walk Lorelai home and make it home himself. "Are you going to take us?"

"Get in," Kirk said as he got back behind the wheel.

Luke stumbled over to the rear passenger door and opened it. He waited for Lorelai to get in and slide over before getting in himself.

"Such a gentleman," Lorelai twittered in a southern accent.

"Don't get used to it," Luke returned, half-laughing to himself.

They both relaxed into the seat as Kirk drove away. In a few minutes, they were pulling up to Lorelai's house.

"Gilmore residence," Kirk announced. He picked up a clipboard and began writing on a sheet, like a cab driver logging his time.

Luke blinked in surprise at how fast they had arrived at Lorelai's house. He looked over at her, she had her eyes closed. Not sure if he could walk around the car and open her door and sure that Kirk wasn't going to do it, he leaned across her and opened the door. As he moved back he noticed her eyes had opened and she was staring at him. He froze; their faces just inches apart.

"You're home," he said in a quiet voice.

Lorelai didn't speak. She had gotten lost in his eyes, his beautiful blue eyes. The flutter was back. She finally dropped her eyes; her face felt warm.

"Meter's running," Kirk hadn't looked up. Luke moved back.

"Thanks, Luke for…well thanks," Lorelai smiled at him. "See you tomorrow." She got out of the car and shut the door. Luke watched her carefully walk up her steps and let herself into the house.

"So Luke, care to make another wager on the test?" Kirk asked.

Luke did not reply. He slumped back into the seat and closed his eyes.

* * *

tbc


	3. And the Winner Is

This one is tough to write! Thanks for your patience and I will try to update more frequently.

As always, reviews, if you are so inclined.

* * *

And the Winner Is.…

Lorelai gingerly walked into the diner, rubbing her temples and squinting at the light. After slowly looking around, she staggered over to a table and sat down. She immediately put her head down on the table.

"Coffee?" a voice softly questioned.

"Ugh, not so loud," Lorelai whined. She picked her head up and stared at Luke. He carefully placed a coffee cup on the table and filled it. Lorelai noticed he looked a little worse for wear this morning too. He was dressed in his usual flannel, jeans and baseball cap. He hadn't bothered to shave but with Luke you could never tell.

"I love you," Lorelai sighed as she picked up the cup and drank deeply. She felt better almost immediately.

"What?" Luke asked in surprise, ignoring the sudden jolt to his brain, his heart and his stomach at hearing those words from her. Then he realized she was speaking to the cup of coffee.

Lorelai continued drinking the coffee until she emptied the cup. She gratefully peeked at him over the rim of her coffee cup. She held it up for a refill and Luke complied. "You're my hero," she cooed gratefully. "An out-and-out Coffee god."

"After yesterday I thought maybe you'd swear off coffee for a while," Luke ventured.

"Hell no," she said emphatically then grimaced at the loudness of her own voice. "Everything is back to normal in Lorelai-town." Her brain spun sickeningly. "Except for this massive hangover, which I am blaming on you."

"Story of my life," Luke shot back, rolling his eyes. "Pancakes?" he asked. He knew she would want her special hangover food.

"Does a bear—"she began

"Coming up," Luke cut across her words as he walked away. Lorelai laid her head back down on the cool Formica surface.

The bell chimed cheerily as someone entered the diner. Lorelai let out a low whine, sure the bell's main purpose in life was to make her head explode.

"Hey Sugah," Babette's raspy voice grated on her nerves, "that was some night last night huh?"

"Uh-huh." It was all Lorelai could manage. She didn't even lift her head.

"Boy, you and Luke really tied one on," Babette observed. In spite of what Patty had said, she hoped that maybe they had been drunk enough to loosen up and let nature take its course. She needed to carefully pry any tidbit she could out of either of them.

"Yeah," Lorelai mumbled, finally picking her head up and looking around. Where was Luke with those pancakes?

"Yeah you could barely walk when you left the bar. You were hanging all over each other," Babette continued leadingly.

"Well we did have a lot to drink," Lorelai agreed. She saw Luke come out of the kitchen with a huge plate of pancakes. Thank god, she thought.

"You made it home okay?" she asked assessing Lorelai's reaction to see if there was some juicy gossip to be had.

Lorelai didn't reply. Her attention was on Luke and the life-saving breakfast he was carrying. She smiled as he came closer.

"Lorelai?" Babette questioned then decided to be more direct. "Tell me about last night!"

"Kirk picked us up outside the bar," Lorelai answered her, finally focused on what Babette was saying. "He dropped me off then Luke. End of story."

"Oh," Babette sounded disappointed. Luke came up and set the plate down. "Well, I'll leave ya to your breakfast then," she said getting up and walking out of the diner.

"What was that all about?" Luke asked.

"Last night," Lorelai explained dully. "Speculation about what happened when we left the bar."

Luke stood for a minute recalling the finer details of last night. "But nothing happened," he said confused.

Lorelai swallowed a bit of pancake. "I know. We had some drinks, made a friendly bet, took a test and went home."

"I can't believe you talked me into taking that stupid test," he shook his head in disbelief.

Lorelai downed another bite of pancake, already feeling better. "I thought Taylor was going to drop dead from surprise. He'll probably be by to recruit you for the next town event."

"When hell freezes over," Luke declared. He gave her a dark look. "Don't you go planting the idea in his head either."

Lorelai laughed. "I won't," she promised then remembered what she had wagered. "As long as you hold up your end of the bet." She gave him a sidelong look. "Promise?"

Luke stared at her for a long moment. There was no way he could possibly beat her on the test about Stars Hollow. Lorelai always took part in town events. She loved this town. She was involved in the town more so than he. Granted she wasn't born here but she knew everyone and everything about this town. The odds were against him beating her. His mind lingered on her wager….

"If you've chosen a humiliating stunt designed to make a fool out of me…." Luke warned.

"I did my best," Lorelai teased him then looked at him seriously. "I'm kidding. Promise me that if I win, you'll do what I wrote down?" She stared at him so earnestly that he again wondered what she could have possibly written.

"Agreed," he grunted. "And when do we get the results of this stupid test?" Luke wanted to know.

"Well the town meeting's coming up in a few days," Lorelai supplied. "Ya got three days to prepare yourself," she clapped her hands.

"I can hardly wait," Luke rolled his eyes then turned away, hoping she hadn't gone too crazy with her bet.

* * *

Lorelai scurried through the square. She was late for the town meeting. She had lost track of the time sorting through the details for the Dragonfly. She scampered up the back steps of the studio and noiselessly slid open the door. Fortunately for her, Taylor was looking down at the podium, poring over his agenda. Quickly glancing around, she noticed an empty seat next to Luke. She smiled at him and he nodded once as she settled down next to him.

"Okay, people, next order of business," Taylor read from his notes. "A petition to refurbish our town square awnings has been proposed by a local merchant."

"Local merchant?" Babette snorted. "Taylor everyone knows that's how you refer to yourself when you're tryin to bamboozle us. Why change the awnings?"

"I think they are just fine," Miss Patty interjected. "They are all so colorful. They make the town look so festive."

"They make the town look like a carnival," Taylor cut in. "All those different colors clashing together. They're an assault on the tourists' eyes and are driving away business."

"I suppose you have proof of this?" Gypsy piped up from the middle row.

"Well not proof necessarily," Taylor admitted.

"Taylor, cut to the chase," Lorelai called. "Why are you proposing this?"

"Well, I am redoing the awnings for the soda shop and the colors are very nice and I think everyone having the same color awnings will pull the look of the town together and make it more attractive to tourism," Taylor explained.

Luke had heard enough. "In other words," he said standing up, irritated and ready to make sure the town was aware of Taylor's latest manipulation, "everyone has to pick your colors and no one else has any say."

"I didn't say that, exactly," Taylor protested weakly, "…yet."

"Taylor, last time I looked we lived in a free country," Luke ranted. "You get people to go along with this, the tourists will think they've come to the Village of the Damned."

"Or Stepford!" Lorelai piped up. Luke shot her a look.

"You want to encourage tourism, right Taylor?" Luke pressed. "Let everyone do what they want, this isn't a dictatorship with one person making up all the rules." Luke knew Taylor was already buying up real estate in the town. He'd be damned if he allowed him to turn Stars Hollow into Taylorville. He'd fight him tooth and nail on this one.

The crowd murmured in agreement and Lorelai gave Luke an approving nod. Miss Patty took matters into her own hands. She stood up and elbowed Taylor away from the podium. "All those in favor?" she called out.

Only Taylor and Kirk raised their hands.

"Kirk you don't even own a business," Miss Patty pointed out.

Kirk's eyes shifted back and forth between Miss Patty and Taylor. "I know, but I always want to stay on Taylor's good side."

"All opposed?" Everyone else put up their hands. Lorelai raised both.

Miss Patty grabbed the gavel and banged it. "Motion denied." She handed the gavel back to Taylor. "That's it for your agenda, Taylor. Announce the results. That's what we're all waiting for."

"Alright," Taylor said snippily. "Last order of business: I have the results of our town trivia contest. I am pleased to say that a lot of you scored very well. It does my heart good to see how our town's history has been instilled–"

"Get on with it, Taylor," Babette interrupted.

"Fine," Taylor said slightly miffed. "The winner of the Stars Hollow Trivia Contest and the winner of a year's supply of ice cream, up to one hundred dollars..."

"Cheapskate," Gypsy called out.

"…and the keys to the city, not to mention bragging rights as being the most knowledgeable person on Stars Hollow history is…" Taylor voice was building up to a crescendo as he paused for dramatic effect.

"Just tell us already!" Lorelai shouted.

"Kirk!" Taylor finished with a flourish.

"Yes!" Kirk erupted from his seat and started doing a weird hopping dance from side to side. He turned to face the townspeople. "In your face!" He pointed at each person in the front row and continued down the line. "In your face! In your face!"

"What about the rest of us?" Lorelai questioned eagerly. Luke rolled his eyes.

"I have a list in order of scoring for everyone who participated and I will be posting it after the meeting," Taylor explained. "Thank you all for participating. We're adjourned."

Taylor immediately took a sheet of paper and tacked it up on the bulletin board near the door. Everyone crowded around it.

Lorelai stood up and looked at Luke. "Moment of truth," she stated.

Luke shrugged and reluctantly followed her to the bulletin board. The crowd thinned out and Lorelai finally made it up to the list. Luke hung back waiting. She stepped up next to Babette and ran her finger down the list.

"Kirk, Miss Patty, Babette, hey you got the bronze," Babette smirked at her as she left, "Morey, Mrs. Gleason, Mrs. Kim, Lorelai, Lane, Andrew, Luke, Bootsy …." Lorelai read aloud.

"At least I beat Bootsy," Luke muttered. Their rivalry went back a long way.

"But you didn't beat me," she said a little smugly. She turned and grinned at him. She was ecstatic. She grabbed his arm and tugged him along with her. "C'mon." She headed for the gazebo.

"Where are we going?" Luke complained. "I have to get back to the diner. I told Lane and Cesar I would be right back."

"They can wait for few minutes," Lorelai countered. "Unless you want to read the bets in front of everyone?"

Luke paused. While he had no worries about revealing his own wager, Lorelai's was another story. He allowed her to pull him along to a nearby bench. She was too happy that she had won and he was sure it did not bode well for him.

Lorelai removed the envelopes from her purse excited. She handed over the envelope with her name on it to Luke. "Open it, open it," she bounced up and down on the bench.

Luke rolled his eyes and was about to rip open the flap when Lorelai grabbed his arm. "Wait," she said suddenly. "I wanna know what you bet." She picked up his envelope.

He shrugged. "Sure, go ahead," Luke relaxed onto the bench.

Lorelai ripped open the envelope and pulled out the slip of paper. "For the next thirty days," she read aloud, "Lorelai Gilmore has to give up coffee." Her eyes bugged out as the words sank in. "You're mean!" she cried. "How could you be so mean to me?"

Luke chuckled at her reaction. He was expecting it. "Hey, you were the one who said you'd had enough coffee. I was just helping you out."

"Helping me out? Are you trying to kill me? Coffee is my life's blood!" she protested.

Luke waved his hand, "Whatever."

"Now I don't feel so bad about what I bet," Lorelai replied darkly giving him an evil smirk. "Go on, open it."

Luke breathed in deeply before ripping open the envelope. He pulled out the slip of paper and read through it. His brow furrowed and he read through it again. He looked at Lorelai. "Huh?" he asked.

"Read it again," she smiled sweetly.

"For the next thirty days, Lucas Danes is to provide his services whenever needed," he read aloud. "What the heck does that mean?"

"Just what it says," Lorelai said cryptically, waiting to spring it on him.

Luke was baffled. He continued staring at the words trying to comprehend their meaning. "Services?" he repeated scratching his head. "I already repair your house, your car and do any other stupid chore you happen to dream up. I keep you fed and in coffee," he was beginning to warm up to his rant, "not to mention allowing you to use my diner for everything from business meetings to bagel hockey," he said still confused. "I already do everything. What the hell other services could I provide?"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized what he had said and inadvertently implied. He flushed deeply, hoping she would let it slide, but no such luck.

"Dirty!" Lorelai admonished him playfully but as he glanced over at her, he noticed she was blushing too.

"Actually," Lorelai continued, trying to squelch the sudden fluttering in her stomach. "I have other ideas in mind." She ignored her embarrassment but was inwardly kicking herself. By wording her bet so generally to cover all the bases, she didn't take into consideration how suggestive it sounded until he'd read it out loud.

"Here is what I'm proposing," Lorelai began and cringed at her choice of words. "I have been running myself ragged trying to make decisions on the Dragonfly and I need help."

"I thought we already went over the business end of things," Luke pointed out. "We covered everything. What else needs to be done?"

"Oh, we did cover the business end for running the Dragonfly," Lorelai agreed. "But now I need help making decisions on the Inn itself," she explained.

"I don't understand," Luke said, mystified.

"I need help with the Dragonfly. The interior, the decorating, the ambiance," she clarified.

Luke gaped at her. "Don't you have decorators for that?"

"Yes, but they are giving me options and I have to make the final decision," she said. "Both Sookie and Michel are too busy which leaves me with you, my friend."

He looked at her like she had lost her mind. "I don't know a damn thing about the hotel industry or decorating," Luke told her. "I won't be any help at all."

"Luke," Lorelai leaned forward trying to convince him. "I don't need you to make the final decisions. What I'm looking for is a sounding board. Someone to bounce ideas off of, someone to talk me down off that ledge I sometimes end up on."

Luke was skeptical. "I can't even get you to stop drinking coffee," he pointed out. "What makes you think I can do this? There's no way I can rein you in once you have your mind made up."

"Like now," she affirmed. "That's why I made this bet." She grew serious and looked at him with pleading eyes. "Please Luke," she implored him. "I know this isn't your thing but I really, really need your help."

Luke stared into her beseeching eyes and felt his resolve weakening. Whenever she needed help, he always was consumed by the overwhelming need to help her however he could. He shook his head uncertainly. "I don't know if I'll be much help…." he reluctantly allowed. "I'm not much into decorating."

"I can tell from your wardrobe," Lorelai pipe up in amusement then sobered. "Really, you'll just be helping me to further narrow down the choices to present to Sookie," she assured him.

He let out a grumbling sigh of defeat. "Fine."

"Yah!" Lorelai bounced on the bench. "You'll have fun, I promise."

"I should get hazard pay for this one," he groused. He got to his feet. "Now I really have to get back to the diner."

"I'll come with you," she said rising also. "I could use a burger."

They walked back to the diner. Luke opened the door and let her precede him inside. The diner was almost filled to capacity. Most of the townies made it a habit to stop in after a town meeting.

"Thank god, you're back," Lane said rushing by with an order.

Lorelai sat at the counter next to Kirk.

"I'll start your burger," Luke said as he poured her a cup of coffee.

"With cheese and cheesy fries," Lorelai reminded him as she took a sip. He disappeared into the kitchen.

"Lorelai!" Babette's gravelly voice called to her from across the diner. She was sitting at a table with Patty. "Kirk tells us you and Luke had a bet on the outcome of the Trivia test. Ya won doll! Whatcha bet?"

Lorelai swiveled around to face them. "Luke has to help me make decisions about decorating the Dragonfly," she broadcast to the entire diner. There were a few chuckles of amusement.

"Wow!" Babette exclaimed. "This should be interesting." Babette had her doubts about how much help Luke could be but as long as it kept them together, who knew where it could lead.

"He'll be fine," Lorelai assured her.

Just them Luke emerged from the kitchen with her order and set it down in front of her.

"Hey Luke," Patty called out. "Once you finish with the Dragonfly can I hire you to redecorate my place?" She smirked at him and Luke knew the last thing she was thinking about was decorating.

"You told them?" he glared at Lorelai. He had been hoping to keep the details of their bet on the down low.

Lorelai shrugged, "They'd have found out anyway. And we did tell Kirk we made a bet."

"You told Kirk about the bet," he pointed out.

"It'll be fine," she promised him.

"So Luke, when do ya start?" Babette squawked.

"Tomorrow," Lorelai announced looking at Luke decisively.

"I'm officially in hell," Luke stated morosely.

* * *

tbc


	4. A Deer in the Headlights

Yes I know I have been slow updating. As I've said before this is the toughest one to write and I have been going back over season four to pick up the decorating details and in some case, manufacturing some of my own.

Reviews please if you are so inclined. Thank you!

* * *

A Deer in the Headlights

"So tell me how you conned Luke into this again," Rory repeated.

"I've already told you," Lorelai said into her cell phone, "we bet on the Trivia contest and I won." She steered her Jeep into the town square.

"I can't believe Luke would willingly bet with you knowing he would be helping with decorating the Dragonfly," Rory replied.

"Well, he didn't know what the bet was at the time," Lorelai admitted.

"Ah, now we are getting somewhere," Rory said finally understanding the situation.

"Well," Lorelai began as she eased the Jeep into a parking space next to the diner, "we wrote down our wagers and now I am the rightful winner of Luke's services for a month." She put the Jeep in park, shut off the engine and sat arguing with Rory.

"That sounds kind of slutty," Rory half-joked.

"No," Lorelai quickly disagreed, "it just means I get to take advantage of Luke's talents for fixing things as well as anything I might need, in this case, help making decisions about the Dragonfly."

"You are way too happy about this. And it still sounds slutty," Rory interjected. "And a little mean."

"I just expanded a little on what he already does for me," Lorelai pointed out insistently in her defense. "It's not mean."

"Its indentured servitude," Rory declared but Lorelai finally could hear the amusement in her daughter's voice.

"Well, maybe a little," Lorelai conceded with a smirk. She looked into the diner, noticing that Miss Patty, Babette and Kirk sitting at various tables. Lane was moving around the dining area while Luke was in his usual position behind the counter, shuffling through a stack of receipts. "I gotta go, hon. I'm here. Day one of transforming Luke into La Decorateur commences. When I'm done with him, he'll be able to get a job on 'Trading Spaces'."

Rory laughed, "Have fun!"

Lorelai got out of the Jeep and walked around to the passenger side. She unloaded bag after bag and a box full of catalogs and set them on the top step near the diner entrance. After she ferried everything she had brought with her, she opened the door, stopping it with the box and began repeating the process to get everything inside.

"What the hell?" Luke sputtered from his vantage point behind the counter. He glared at her, receipts clenched in his hand.

"Hey Lorelai," Lane paused at the table where Lorelai was dumping her stuff. "What's going on?"

"Just bringing in the stuff Luke and I are going to look at for the Dragonfly," Lorelai panted, slightly out of breath. She had to make two more trips before she got everything to the table. Patty and Babette were watching, interested.

"I don't understand," Lane said, confused.

"Luke and I had a side bet on the Trivia contest and I won," Lorelai said smugly. "So, for the next month, he has to help me pick out furnishings and wallpaper and other stuff for the Dragonfly."

"Hmm," Lane said surprised, "this should be interesting." Never would she imagined Luke being a decorator kind of guy.

"This is what you bet?" Kirk inquired as he came over to the table and began peeking into some of the bags. "I would have been more than happy to help you out. I have taken decorating classes," he offered.

"Um, well Kirk," Lorelai said noncommittally, not wanting to get into her actual bet, nor have Kirk rope her into letting him put what would be sure to be his weird stamp on her fledgling business. "Luke's already agreed to do it and you're so busy, but maybe next time okay?" she said placatingly. She knew she would never allow Kirk to make one decision regarding the Dragonfly's décor.

Lorelai turned and approached the counter. "Hey Luke, what's going on?"

If anything his glare grew even more fierce. He unclenched his fist and Lorelai realized that he wasn't holding receipts, he was holding messages. "Oh well," he said flippantly as he plucked the first one out of the stack. "Tom called. The banister on the stairs has to be replaced. It'll be 4000 dollars." He tossed the message up in the air and let it flutter down to the counter then went for the second one. "Tamson Quarterly called. He needs a deposit on quarter-sawn oak. It'll be 4000 dollars." That, too, fluttered to the counter as he went on to the next. "Julio, the landscaper called. I have no idea what he said," he admitted confidentially, sarcasm dripping from ever word, "but it will be 4000 dollars."

Lorelai gasped and snatched the message before he could let it drop.

"Vicky from Vicky's Horse Supply called," he read from the next message. "She thinks Pepper and Gunsmoke will suit your needs but Gunsmoke snores so the stables can't be too close to the guests' bedrooms." Luke voice raised in pitch and volume, "Oh and one last thing: I'm not taking messages for you anymore! What did you do have business cards printed up?"

"People just know I'm here a lot," she admitted sheepishly. "And since you are helping out…"

"I missed a call from my meat guy because I was on the phone discussing Gunsmoke's deviated septum!"

"I'm sorry," Lorelai said soothingly, trying to calm him down. She took a deep breath, "You don't by chance have a package that was supposed to be delivered to me here do you?"

Luke's eyes bugged out of his head and his mouth dropped open, astounded by her gall. "Are you serious?"

"Okay, okay," Lorelai quickly tried to change the subject. "Are you ready?"

"I don't think so," Luke replied, eyeing the mountain of bags and boxes that was taking up two of his tables and the townies that were nosily poking around it.

"C'mon," Lorelai ordered.

Luke reluctantly came around the counter and approached the tables. Kirk, Patty and Babette were already looking through some of the catalog at fabric swatches and wallpaper samples.

"Maybe you could get these three to help," he murmured.

"I like this elephant wallpaper," Kirk declared. "You could have a circus room!"

Lorelai shot Luke a look clearly expressing her feelings on having Kirk's input. Luke shrugged and nodded, conceding her point.

Kirk continued flipping through the wallpaper book. "Oh clouds!" he immediately grew pensive. "But then you'd have to put umbrellas in every room. It might rain."

"Wow, feel this wallpapah," Babette squawked, rubbing the swatch. ""Lorelai you should put this on the beds instead of sheets! It's so soft!"

Lorelai quickly realized that the diner wouldn't be much better than the atmosphere at Sookie's. Unless they went somewhere more private and quiet, she would again have to deal with not getting any work done.

"Uh," she asked tentatively, "could we maybe go over this stuff upstairs?" After the way Luke reacted to taking messages, she wasn't sure if he would still be willing to help her out.

Luke looked around, noting that even though the diner was in the midst of a lull, there were plenty of nosey people still there that would definitely drag out the process. He had to agree with her. The sheer volume of materials she had lugged in indicated they would be at this for a while. He was out of his league and he knew it but he was determined to see it through. He just didn't want anyone witnessing his ineptness.

"That sounds like a good idea," Luke agreed. He began grabbing the handles of the bags she'd brought in, efficiently arranging them so he could carry them in one load. "Can you manage the box?"

"Sure, no problem," Lorelai replied definitely impressed that he could manage almost everything himself. She hadn't figured on pack-mule being one of the services he could provide.

As he disappeared behind the curtain, Lorelai began putting the sample books Kirk had pulled out back in the box. Kirk had lost interest and drifted away just leaving Patty and Babette at the table.

"Interesting bet the two of you made," Patty commented idly, a suggestive gleam in her eye. "But honey, if I had been you, I would have wagered something more…fun." Her meaning was clear.

Lorelai shook her head, grateful she hadn't told them how she actually had worded her bet. Patty would've had a field day with that. Seeing how people were reacting, she had to agree with Rory. It DID sound slutty. It would be better for her to stick with her Dragonfly story regarding the bet. She grabbed the box and headed after Luke.

"Okay," she said as she sorted through and arranged everything on the table. "The first thing is the wallpaper. I've already picked out what I want for the dining room, living room and the common areas on the first floor. We've chosen what will be in the rooms. All that is left is the lobby. We need to make a final decision."

Luke let out a wounded moan like an animal caught in a trap. Lorelai began opening books to specific samples and placing them in front of him.

"I've got the lobby area narrowed down to these three choices," she said pointing to each. "I've chosen a warmer grain of wood but I'm not sure which will complement it best."

"They all kinda look the same color to me," Luke admitted, glancing from sample to sample. "You've got a stripe, some flowers and uh, some flowery pattern. Pick one."

"I am pretty sure we can eighty-six the stripe," Lorelai decided as she viewed the finalists again. "I liked it because I though it would give the area a welcoming warmth but with nice clean lines." She took away the striped sample and focused on the other two. "Hold the last two up, will you?"

Luke complied by holding each book up in one hand and leaning them against his flannel-clad chest. Lorelai's eyes darted back and forth to each sample.

"I could go with either I think but…" her voice trailed off. She grabbed one of the books and set it down before centering the other one on Luke's chest. Her eyes shifted rapidly back and forth a she studied the sample intently. Suddenly reached out and began unbuttoning Luke's shirt.

"Lorelai! What the hell?!" Luke exclaimed, completely confused that she seemed to be undressing him. He fervently hoped she couldn't feel how his heart began to race.

Lorelai didn't reply but unbuttoned the flannel just enough that she could flip the edge of the shirt over the sample.

"Not plaid," she murmured distantly, "but maybe a block pattern…" She raised her eyes to his. "This could work." She furiously scribbled down some notes on a Post-It and slapped it on the page. "I think we have a winner." She pulled the book away and set it aside, making a few more notations.

Luke stared at her as if she had lost her mind and re-buttoned his shirt. He was glad she was absorbed with whatever decorating ideas that she was jotting down, so she couldn't see how she had gotten to him. Those few short moments she was undressing him were like a dream come true. He blew out a deep breath getting his heart rate under control. If this is what it was going to be like working with her. Hell, working closely with her, he corrected himself. He wondered at the wealth of possibilities.

"What's next" Luke prodded. He needed to center his mind on something other than Lorelai undressing him before she noticed and got weirded out by it.

She rummaged through another bag and brought out a catalog of sconces. "Lighting fixtures for the foyer and in the halls. I'm thinking of using one type throughout and have again narrowed my choices down." She set the choices down in front of him.

"I have no clue as to what you should choose," Luke shrugged.

"Just tell me what you think," Lorelai urged him. "I'm not basing my final choice on just your opinion. I have other things and ideas that are factoring into my decision."

Luke reluctantly picked up a catalog and looked at her selections. "That looks kind of sissy, like you would find in a frou-frou cafe," he screwed up his face. He looked at the next, "That looks like a Mexican cantina and that looks like it belongs in some Teutonic beer hall."

"Do you spend a lot of time in bars Jack Daniels?" Lorelai quipped but as soon as he pointed out them out she could see the flaw in every single one. Particularly the Teutonic beer hall sconce.

"Well you don't need something overpowering," Luke told her. "Pick something that's simple but elegant, not something that looks like you should smother it with ketchup and mustard."

"My, look who's tapping into his inner queer eye," Lorelai joked. As he shot her a look, she backed down. She flipped through a few more pages. "What about that one?" She indicated another, "Or that?"

"It's your choice," he said, laying the verdict totally on her shoulders.

"Fine," she huffed at him. She couldn't be too mad at him. For all of his bluster, he was helping her make final decisions. She would show Sookie when she went to see her later and try to get her input. "We only have time to look at a few more things for now. I need to get to Sookie's to go over all this and then be back here this afternoon so we can go check out the horses."

"You want me to go with you to check out the horses?" Luke exclaimed in surprise. "I know nothing whatsoever about horses. I won't be any use to you," Luke stated baldly. Going along would be a waste of time. "I do have a diner to run," he reminded her.

"We could go during your afternoon lull. You'll have fun," Lorelai said trying to cajole him like she would a child. She didn't want to go alone and he was the obvious choice. She hoped it wouldn't be so difficult to convince him each time she needed him to go with her. She needed to tell him about the other excursions she had planned but didn't want to spring it on him all at once.

"I'll buy you a snack on the ride home," she bargained.

"A healthy one?" he questioned.

Lorelai nodded. "Something I would definitely turn up my nose at, No junk whatsoever."

Luke heaved a put-upon sigh. "Okay, but it better be good," he warned her.

* * *

Lorelai softly knocked on Sookie's door. Sookie had hung a little placard saying "Baby's sleeping". The last thing Lorelai wanted to do was upset Davey's schedule knowing that if she did, it could make a tough day for Sookie.

Sookie opened the door, her eyes lighting up when she saw Lorelai. "Hi!" she whispered enthusiastically. She opened the door wider. "Come on in!"

Lorelai came inside and moved to the living room, setting down a couple of the bags she had taken from Luke's. She had left the bulk of the materials there. Since he had been such a help, and only on the first day, she felt that she could remove the whatever catalogs they were done with as they resolved each decorating issue. That way she could concentrate setting the works in motion for each item they'd completed. She expected Luke to balk at her leaving all that stuff there but he just shrugged when she asked him if it was okay.

Sookie was already paging through the catalog of sconces looking at Lorelai's original choices.

"I like that one," she pointed

Lorelai glanced at what she was looking at. "It's too French."

"Hmm. This one is nice," she offered.

"It's too Spanish," Lorelai replied.

"Ohhh! I like this one!' Sookie exclaimed.

Lorelai shook her head. "It's too German."

"How can a sconce be too German?" Sookie countered in amusement.

"It's shaped like a knackwurst," Lorelai replied, somewhat amused herself. A few short hours with Luke and already he had her thinking like him. The sconce really did look like it should be smothered in ketchup and mustard.

"It is not!" Sookie exclaimed then examined it again. "Oh it is. Why would they do that?" she commented aloud at the strange shapes that were used to design wall fixtures. She flipped the page to the last one marked. "Ooh I like this one!" Sookie pointed out a particular fixture.

"I do too," Lorelai agreed. "Luke helped me pick out that one."

"Luke?"

"Yeah, Luke," Lorelai repeated, suddenly sounding a little hesitant. "Sookie, you've been so busy with Jackson and Davey that I needed to find someone who could help me make up my mind about the Dragonfly."

"And Luke volunteered?" Sookie's voice was incredulous.

"Not exactly," Lorelai smirked. "I kind of rooked him into betting on the Trivia contest and this was the result."

"Oh, I'm sure he is loving this," Sookie said with a laugh.

"Thankfully, it's getting easier each time to twist his arm," Lorelai allowed then noticed the thoughtful expression on Sookie's face.

"You aren't mad that he's helping are you?" Lorelai asked.

"No," Sookie said immediately. "Its just I think that decorating would be the very last thing Luke would want to do with his free time." She eyed Lorelai speculatively. "I'm sure he has his reasons for doing it." She gave Lorelai a leading look.

"Sookie," Lorelai remonstrated, "don't even go there. I am dragging him through this tooth and nail with him kicking and screaming as we go along."

"Yeah but he is still going along isn't he?" Sookie pointed out.

Lorelai shook her head at her friend. "Davey better settle down on a schedule soon. You need to get out more."

* * *

"This is so exciting!" Lorelai exclaimed as Luke climbed into the Jeep. "Aren't you excited?" she asked shaking his arm.

"Yeah," Luke deadpanned. "I'm beyond words." Lorelai pulled away as he buckled his seatbelt.

"And that is different from you usual how?" she countered.

Luke grimaced and rolled his eyes even though he wasn't at all upset. He knew he really didn't need to go along but he was enjoying having a legitimate excuse to spend as much time with Lorelai without anyone becoming suspicious, without have to deal with any innuendo or gossip.

"Just drive," he ordered.

Lorelai turned on the radio and went up and down the dial until she found a song to her taste. Luke surreptitiously watched her out of the corner of his eye as she sang along, shimmying in her seat, chair dancing up a storm. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep from chuckling out loud. Her mood was infectious.

"Try not to kill us okay?"

She replied by playfully sticking her tongue out at him before turning her attention back to the road. After about twenty minutes they reached the stables and parked the Jeep. Luke got out and wrinkled his nose at the pungent aroma wafting from the stables as they drew closer.

Lorelai noticed his distasteful expression. "Miss Scarlett, maybe you should just sashay your pretty little self back to the Jeep," she drawled.

"I'm fine," Luke growled following her into the stable.

"Ah, you're here," a woman greeted them.

"Hi Vicky," Lorelai greeted her. "We're here to check out the horses."

"Great," she replied as she gestured them further into the stables. "Pepper and Gunsmoke are right this way."

Vicky led them to the stalls and pointed out the horses. Lorelai looked at the horses critically. She could tell they were beautiful horses. Pepper was a gray-spotted mare and Gunsmoke was a grayish-black stallion. Both looked strong and capable but something didn't feel right.

"Is something wrong?" Vicky asked.

"I'm not sure," Lorelai replied. She absently looked around the stables. "Would you mind if I looked at the other horses?"

"By all means," Vicky said. "I'll let you two look around. Just call out if you have any questions."

As Vicky retreated, Luke stepped next to Lorelai. "What's wrong with the horses?"

"Nothing," Lorelai said thoughtfully. "I just don't feel they are right for the Dragonfly."

She slowly walked down one side of the stalls. Luke followed watching her look over horse after horse before stopping in front of a chestnut colored horse and cocking her head. Luke looked at the name over the stall: Cletus.

"Hi there," Lorelai said softly. "You look like you would want to come live at the Dragonfly." Her gut was telling her this was the horse. He seemed to be docile enough, with long legs and a gentle gleam in his eyes.

Luke took up a position opposite from where Lorelai was bonding with the horse. He watched her stroke Cletus' mane, all the while talking softly to him. Luke marveled that even with all her bundled-up energy she managed to communicate a relaxed, friendly demeanor to which the horse was definitely responding. He tossed his head playfully and Lorelai laughed. It was almost as if she was flirting.

He leaned up against a post, continuing to watch Lorelai get acquainted with Cletus. Luke smiled. He was pretty sure Gunsmoke was now out of the running.

Suddenly he felt a warm gust of air over his shoulder a second before he felt something nudge his back.

"What the hell?" he jumped away in surprise.

A chestnut mare had leaned her head over the stall, curious about the stranger standing close by. She shied back slightly at his movement but, unafraid, stepped forward as far as she could and whinnied at him.

"Aw, you made a new friend," Lorelai said as she approached him. "Maybe you were a horse whisperer in another life." The horse seemed almost drawn to Luke. She looked at the name over the stall: Desdemona. Lorelai reached out and stroked the white velvety nose. "Hi there, Desdemona," she cooed. The horse whinnied again and tossed her head. She rolled her eyes toward Luke.

"Don't worry about him," Lorelai murmured soothingly, leaning closer to confide with the horse. "He may seem gruff but he's really just a big old teddy bear."

"Lorelai…" Luke admonished her, both exasperated and flattered at the soft affectionate way she described him.

"Come and pet her," Lorelai commanded gently. She looked around and spotted a bag of sugar cubes. She grabbed a few and shoved them into his hand. "She likes you. Make friends with her."

Luke shook his head. She nudged his hand and gestured to the horse with her head. He let out an irritated sound and brought his hand up. Immediately the horse delicately ate the sugar out of his hand.

"This is worse than jam hands," he complained. He had never had an animal eat out of his hand and the sensation was odd.

"Oh suck it up," Lorelai told him, no real heat behind her words, "it's not that bad." They both stepped away from the stall and headed back to the office. "I've got some wipes my purse." She rummaged through her bag and handed him a couple of wipes.

"Well," Vicky said as they returned to her office. "What have you decided?"

Lorelai nodded. She had fallen in love with Cletus and after seeing how Desdemona took to Luke…horses had a sense about people. "Instead of Pepper and Gunsmoke, can we get Cletus and Desdemona?" Lorelai asked. "I think they will be perfect." Luke had moved off to the side and was scrubbing his palm. He kept his head bent to mask his surprise. It seemed like she picked the horse out because of him.

"Of course," Vicky replied. "Let me just mark the horses as sold. We can work out the rest of the details now if you want."

"Why don't I call you," Lorelai said, eyeing Luke. He had been extremely patient and had already given up a large part of his day and she didn't want to take up any more of his time than she already had. She nodded in agreement and they left.

"Congratulations," Lorelai said as they got into the car. "You get high marks for your first successful outing. This won't be too bad at all."

"All I did was watch you look at horses," he replied, downplaying his role with Desdemona. "I didn't really do…." he paused. "What do you mean by 'first' outing?"

"Well," Lorelai admitted shyly, "I guess now is as good of a time to mention this. Sookie and I were going to do some overnight visits at some of the surrounding places in the area. You know, check out the competition, see what they are doing, see what works and what doesn't. And since Sookie can't make it…"

"You're asking me to go away with you for the weekend?" Luke asked incredulously.

"No! I mean yes but no," Lorelai said quickly. "You'd have your own room and it wouldn't cost you anything."

"Lorelai," Luke said, unable to believe how much she was getting him involved in the whole process, "I have a business to run. I can't just leave at the drop of a hat to go off looking at how somebody runs their business. Especially a business I know nothing about."

"C'mon Luke," Lorelai wheedled. "I can't go alone. It would be too pathetic. I need you to come. Please?" She thought furiously on how to convince him. "You've gone away with Nicole and the diner was just fine. Lane and Cesar can run things for a little while." Then she went in for the kill. "Besides, you agreed to help me out for the month."

"You're gonna hold that stupid bet over my head and milk it for all its worth aren't you?"

"Of course!" Lorelai smile at him sweetly. "It's my job!"

Luke glowered at her and let out frustrated sound. "Alright, I'll do it."

"Yah!" Lorelai cheered. "You won't be sorry."

"I already am," Luke retorted.

tbc


	5. Field Trip

Major shout out and thank you to vaso! My thumb drive ate this file at 10 pages and I thought it was lost forever and I was truly devastated. She gave me the directions on how to get it back. Happy Dance and I love you!

Again, the chapter I have been dying to write. God I hope it doesn't suck. Lord do I worry when I post.

Chapter, she be long. Hope you enjoy it.

I so want to hear about this one if you are so inclined. Heh.

* * *

Field Trip

Lorelai was entering the town square as she checked the time on her cell phone and then hit the speed dial to call Rory.

"Hello?" Rory mumbled distractedly.

"Good morning, sunshine," Lorelai chirped into the phone as she made her way further into town.

"Ugh," Rory groaned.

"Well look who changed from a morning person," Lorelai replied. "Did I wake you?"

"No," Rory replied. "I'm just putting the finishing touches on a paper. I was up all night working on it."

"Hey!" Lorelai remonstrated, coming to a stop, "don't go skipping sleep. Sleep is what makes us pretty and it would be majorly embarrassing if you nose-dived into a textbook in the middle of a class."

"That's not going to happen," Rory insisted.

"Still, you need to cover the basics here," Lorelai gently rebuked, concern in her voice. "Don't make me come up there to look after you because you know I'll do it." She began walking again.

"I swear I'm taking good care of myself," Rory promised. "It's just that things are a little crazy up here. Don't worry, everything is fine. So," she said changing the subject, "when do you and Sookie take off on your spy mission to bring down the competition?"

"Uh, tomorrow," Lorelai said shrugging it off. She hadn't told Rory that Luke would be taking Sookie's place. Ever since Rory had teased her about her bet with Luke, she'd deliberately downplayed the increasing role he was playing in helping her get the Dragonfly ready. She didn't want to deal with the questions and speculation that would invariably arise. She and Luke were friends and he was helping her out. Nothing more. "I'll tell you all about the place tonight at Friday night dinner."

"About that," Rory replied hesitantly. "I probably won't be there."

"No!" Lorelai said shocked. "That is the only time I get to see you lately! Your grandmother won't be happy about this. You are the reason we keep doing these dinners."

"I know, I know," Rory agreed. "I've just got too much to do. I'll call Grandma later on and let her know. Hopefully she'll understand. I want to go but I'm just swamped."

"Are you sure everything is okay?" Lorelai asked suspiciously. She paused at the entrance to Luke's

"Everything's fine," Rory reassured her. "I just need the time to stay on top of things."

"Alright," Lorelai conceded, though not thoroughly convinced. "I'll let you go for now. I'm at Luke's."

"Say hi to him for me and have fun tomorrow."

"I will. Take care hon," Lorelai smiled into the phone before hanging up.

Lorelai walked into the diner and immediately came face to face with Lane.

"Hey Lorelai," Lane greeted her as she headed towards the kitchen. "How's it going? How's Rory?"

"Good. She's good," Lorelai answered not mentioning Rory's grueling schedule.

"Great!" Lane responded. "Tell her I said hi if you talk to her."

"Will do." Lorelai continued on to the counter. As she sat down, Luke came out of the kitchen with a couple of orders. He nodded, acknowledging her presence as he delivered the orders. He returned to the counter, grabbed a mug and the coffee pot and filled it without saying a word.

Lorelai grinned at him. "Ready for tomorrow?" she asked.

"Shhh," he shushed her looking around. No one was nearby but with this town he could never tell. "We can talk about it upstairs," he said in a low voice before raising it. "Everything is quiet so we can head up and you can torture me with your next round of weird stuff," he grumbled. "Lane," he called out to her. "I'm headed upstairs."

"Okay," came the muffled shout.

Lorelai made a face at his attempt at subterfuge. In actuality, they had settled into an easy routine and he was bigger help than she originally thought. The past week, he helped her decide on a tile for the bathroom—who knew there were so many different shades of white tile?—the molding for the ceilings and even picked out the entry arch for the landscapers to install at the entrance to the Dragonfly.

She drained her mug. "Okay, let's go," she said setting the mug down.

Luke immediately refilled it. "You can bring this up with you," he offered, knowing she would want coffee once they got upstairs anyway. He headed toward the curtain, grabbing his deposit bag as he did so. Lorelai followed.

Luke mounted the steps and led the way into his apartment. He gestured Lorelai inside and closed the door behind him. He set the bag by the safe and made his way back to the table and sat down.

"Okay what's on your agenda for today?" he asked. He was surprised that he was feeling less and less uncomfortable about helping her out. He was actually beginning to look forward to this time he spent alone with her. Sure, they worked on decorating the Dragonfly, not something he could honestly say he enjoyed, but sometimes their conversations went off on a tangent and they talked about other things too: about Rory at Yale, the town, sometimes inconsequentially events in their days.

"You're in luck we don't really have anything to do today. I have an appointment scheduled with the decorator to look at antiques so I won't make you suffer through that or the pictures I am having framed for the Dragonfly or the thimble collection that will be displayed near the front desk," Lorelai told him. "That's going to take up my day today. We should just probably figure out what time we want to leave tomorrow."

"Um, about that," Luke began.

"You'd better not be backing out at the last minute," Lorelai warned. "I'll have to pay for your room either way."

"No, it's not that," Luke replied. "I think it might be better if we didn't leave Stars Hollow together. You know how this town can be."

Lorelai thought about it for a moment and she had to agree. The sight of her and Luke leaving together with luggage for an overnight trip would definitely set all the tongues a-wagging and they would be hounded every second as soon as they got back. This town had a problem believing that she and Luke were just friends. They would all assume the worst no matter how innocent this trip was.

"You're right," Lorelai agreed. "What's your plan?"

Luke grabbed a pen and paper and began writing out instructions. "How about you meet me here instead? It's sort of on the way. We can leave either the truck or the Jeep and go together or I can follow you to wherever this place is where we're going."

Lorelai grinned in amusement. Luke was willing to help her to a point but god forbid he was patently sticking to not displaying how much knowledge he had gained from these meetings or admit he knew exactly where they were headed.

Luke finished writing and slid the paper over to Lorelai. She quickly scrutinized the directions. She'd never been where he was directing her. It was a little off the beaten track but would only be a short detour from their route.

"Looks good," Lorelai nodded, confirming she understood what he has written. "Two-thirty-ish? Check-in is at three."

"Works for me," Luke nodded in approval. He sat back in his chair relieved he wasn't going to be called upon for any opinions for once.

Lorelai relaxed into her chair sipping her coffee, "Oh, by the way Rory says hi."

"How's she doing?" he asked. As Lorelai launched into the conversation Luke settled back in his chair, listening. He was glad that even though they weren't working on the Dragonfly they would still have some quiet time together talking about everyday stuff.

That suited him just fine.

* * *

Lorelai pulled into the parking lot around two forty-five. She wasn't really all that late. She looked at the name of the place: Sniffy's Tavern. She'd never heard of it before but it looked like a friendly place. She spied Luke's empty truck already parked near the back of the lot and pulled in beside it.

She turned off the ignition. Was she supposed to meet Luke inside? How did he know this place? She was still trying to figure out what she should do when Luke emerged and walked over to his truck. He pulled his duffel bag from the truck bed and walked around to the Jeep.

"Sorry," she said apologetically. "I'm not that late though,"

"Its fine," Luke brushed off her apology. "We can take your Jeep and leave the truck here." He moved to the back, opened the gate and put his stuff inside.

"Are you sure it's okay that you leave your truck here?" Lorelai asked, concerned. The last thing she wanted was for Luke to have his truck towed.

"Its fine," he repeated adjusting his hat. "Let's go."

"What is this place?' Lorelai asked curiously.

Luke shrugged. "Just a place I know," he said noncommittally. "We can go in another day."

It was clear to Lorelai that she wasn't going to get anymore out of him on the subject so she concentrated on driving.

Neither spoke on the trip. After about thirty minutes, Lorelai pulled up to the Victoria Inn which rivaled the Independence Inn in size. They both stared at the place for a moment before getting out of the Jeep. As Luke unloaded their luggage, a bellhop came out to carry in their bags. Lorelai parked the Jeep a short distance away.

"Okay, here we go," Lorelai said excitedly.

Luke refrained from rolling his eyes and followed her in. She led the way to the check-in desk. "Rooms for Lorelai Gilmore," she told the clerk. Her eyes wandered around the reception area mentally assessing the décor and atmosphere it presented. She nudged Luke. "Go look around," she urged him.

Luke rolled his eyes but headed off on his impromptu scouting trip, not sure what he was looking for. As he wandered around, he found the dining room, some larger common rooms where people were conversing and even a small lounge with a bar. He paused by the door, wishing he had time for a beer but knowing he didn't.

He realized he'd been standing looking around a little too long. A blonde seated at one of the tables appeared to be sizing him up as he contemplated the place. He ducked back shyly and headed back to the main desk where Lorelai was just finishing checking in.

"Here are your room keys, located on the second floor. The stairs are right over there," the clerk said laying the keys on the counter, before indicating where they should go. Then she placed a flyer next to the keys, "Here is a listing of our evening social events."

"Social events?" Lorelai queried. She looked over the listing: poetry reading in the library, availability of in-room movies and boldly highlighted a "Meet and Greet".

"Just some evening activities some of our guests have come to enjoy," the clerk said with a sly smile. "Our Meet and Greet has been gaining in popularity. Some of our guests have made special acquaintances with each other. It's a chance for everybody to get to know each other."

"Um, okay," Lorelai said, exchanging a confused look with Luke. She handed him the paper and they both looked at it as they headed to the stairs.

"Social events?" Luke echoed. "Meet and Greet? Sounds a little odd to me," he observed.

"Let's just go to our rooms, check things out and get ready for dinner and this Meet and Greet," Lorelai decided.

Their rooms were across the hall from each other. After getting settled, Lorelai took her time and got ready for dinner. Once she was ready, she conducted a detailed survey of her room noting both the positive and the negative before heading over to Luke's room.

"Who is it?" he called.

"Candy-gram. Land shark," Lorelai replied. "Open the door."

Luke opened the door and Lorelai paused, noticing thankfully that he had changed from his flannel into a dark blue V-neck sweater and dark slacks. He dressed up for dinner.

"It's too early to go down to dinner," he told her. He covertly skimmed her appearance. He had yet to see her wear something that didn't compliment her figure and tonight was no different. She looked beautiful.

"We have about twenty minutes before this so-called Meet and Greet," Lorelai replied pushing past him. "I want to check out your room."

"It's probably the same as yours," he pointed out but let her in anyway. He watched her poke her way around the room, checking the in-room amenities, assessing the quality of the room and all the furnishings. She even went so far as to check the view.

"It's okay," she pronounced, "but I think we'll do better."

They went downstairs and headed to the designated common area to find it already crowded with people. Waiters were serving drinks and circulating with appetizer trays. People were laughing and openly flirting with each other.

"You get the feeling that this Meet and Greet is really a…" he paused trying to find an acceptable way to phrase his next words, "er…a Meet and Greet?" He emphasized the words.

"Kinda looks that way," Lorelai commented noticing how cozy some of the couples were. She was inclined to back out of the room but was gestured in further by the staff. Luke gave her a pleading look clearly indicating he didn't want to be there but followed her anyway.

"This is The Cheshire Cat all over again," Lorelai said and she politely accepted a drink.

"Huh?"

"When Rory and I took off after I called off my wedding to Max, we went to this place a friend of mine was supposedly running. Only he had sold the place to someone else and it was so not what I expected it to be."

"Ah," Luke said in absently, the memory of those agonizing days leading up to her wedding eclipsed by the relief and joy he felt when she cancelled it distracting him from their current situation.

"They kind of forced you to get to know your fellow travelers," she said. "Never would I do that or plan something as cheesy as this."

"Thank god," He felt the relieved hearing her words but knowing how hard she was working to get the right atmosphere for the Dragonfly, he couldn't help but tease her. This had all the makings of a singles scene. "Too bad this isn't what you're after though," he said jokingly. "I so wanted to be there when you told Taylor the Dragonfly would be renting rooms by the hour."

Lorelai's mouth dropped open in shock then she glowered at him. "Just for that," she said, feeling slightly vengeful, "you can fend for yourself." She headed off into the room alone, leaving him to gape after her.

Luke chuckled to himself as she stalked off but a minute later he was sorry she was gone as the blond from the lounge sidled up to him.

"Hi there," she cooed at him. "I'm Debbie. And you are?"

"Uh, Luke," he said uncomfortably scanning the room for Lorelai. He saw her reaching for an appetizer while some guy came up and began speaking to her.

"She looks like she's occupied," Debbie said, glancing at his hand and noticing the absence of a wedding ring. "We can just talk until she comes back."

"No, thank you," Luke said politely extricating himself from the blonde's clutches. He eyed the guy standing next to Lorelai and didn't like what he saw. He headed over to where Lorelai was standing, conversing with her own hanger-on.

When Lorelai left Luke to his own devices, she hadn't realized how quickly she would become fair game herself. She barely made it to the appetizer tray before being approached by—ugh—Todd. Out of politeness she told him her name but she knew his type and was trying to figure out the best way to ditch him when Luke re-appeared at her side.

"How about a walk before dinner?" Luke asked. He didn't like the way the guy was eyeing Lorelai and he knew they couldn't stay here.

"Perfect," she said, hiding her relief. "Bye, uh, Todd." She walked away from him without a backward glance. She blew out a sigh of relief completely forgetting her previous minor irritation and linked her arm with his to ward off the Todds in the room. "Thank you," she told him softly.

He smiled back at her, relieved to get out of there. "You're welcome."

* * *

"Well, Sookie's cooking definitely puts this place to shame," Lorelai said quietly after their server had left. The cuisine while well-prepared lacked the imagination and pizzazz that Lorelai knew her friend could produce. "Even your old, re-heated coffee is better than the coffee at this place."

"Gee thanks," he replied to her left-handed compliment. "Looks like the Dragonfly will give this place a run for its money," Luke commented watching her eat her dinner without really enjoying it. "Is there anything you like about this place?" he asked.

"Nothing's coming to mind," she replied wanly and sighed. "After dinner we can split up and reconnoiter to see if there is anything we will have to worry about then call it a night. Worse comes to worse, we can watch movie in one of our rooms."

Luke gave a noncommittal grunt of agreement his head bent over his plate. He was slightly nervous about the prospect of spending the evening alone with Lorelai in a hotel room. He wondered what they would talk about. Granted they talked all the time and had spent time alone before while working on the Dragonfly but this was different. He wondered what might happen if they had one of those moments that sometimes spontaneously popped up between them. In the past when that happened or just as he was about to work up his nerve to ask her out, they had always been interrupted. That wouldn't be the case this time.

They finished their meal and Luke noticed Lorelai observing the other diners as well as the wait staff.

"I've seen enough," Lorelai stated. She signed the check. "Let's get this over with."

They rose, walked out of the dining room and went in opposite directions. Since Luke had previously seen much of the first floor when they checked in, he headed off into areas unknown. Not that he was any kind of expert, but he had to admit Lorelai was right: as far as hotels went, this one didn't seem to have much to offer.

He walked into a dimly-lit room with book-lined shelves and was surprised that this Inn boasted of a library. His next thought was it didn't look like it was used much.

"We meet again, Luke," a voice said.

He turned to spy the blonde from the bar, obviously following him. "Er, hi," he replied uncomfortably.

"So from the looks of it, you came with the brunette but you don't seem like you are together," she observed stepping closer.

Luke opened his mouth to reply but remained mute. What could he say?

Lorelai had circled around the first floor and found herself back in the lobby area. She'd already written the place off, branding it devoid of anything even slightly interesting. Her plans for the Dragonfly were going to be on a different caliber from this place, a fact that gave her considerable satisfaction. As she headed back in the other direction, someone walked out of a common room.

"Well hello, again Lorelai," Todd said.

She gave him a thin smile, not really much of a greeting and continued on her way. He fell in step beside her.

"So you ditched the guy?" he asked.

"No, I didn't ditch the guy," she replied annoyed that she had again run into persistent boor. "As a matter of fact, I'm going to see the guy right now," Lorelai was quickly losing patience with this dolt who thought he was god's gift to women. She increased her pace.

"If I was him, I wouldn't leave you alone to roam around by yourself," he countered in a silky voice. He easily kept up with her and drew closer. "Seems pretty stupid to me."

Lorelai wanted to smack him. "Luke is not stupid," she said testily. She needed to get rid of this clown once and for all and she needed Luke to help her do that.

She stepped into the library and relieved, spotted Luke. She hadn't gone more than a few steps when she stopped short as she caught sight of Luke being backed into a corner by a pushy blonde. Inexplicably, her gut wrenched at the sight but Luke's panic-stricken face told her he wasn't enjoying that he was on the receiving end of this woman's attentions. Her irritation increased as she saw the blonde lay her hand on his chest.

Luke looked up in relief, seeing Lorelai walking towards him. The ever-so clingy Debbie was practically glued to his left side, making him extremely uncomfortable. He didn't like women who made the first move.

"Well," Lorelai cooed walk up to him and leaning against his right side. "I've seen enough, honey," she stressed the word. She laid her right hand on Luke's chest and shot the other woman a warning shot to back off. She took the hint and moved back.

Luke was dumbfounded by her actions but grateful nonetheless. Unfortunately her words left him tongue-tied. He wasn't expecting this.

Todd noticed Luke's seeming-reluctance. "You two aren't really here together?" he asked skeptically. He had briefly noted their interactions through the course of the night and nothing in their behavior indicated that they were a couple.

"Of course we are!" Lorelai said brightly, looking to Luke for fake confirmation to get them both away from these two. She laid her head on Luke's shoulder. "He just doesn't like public displays of affection, do you hon?"

Luke stared down at Lorelai like she had grown a second head. She smiled at him in response.

"Just this once babe?" she asked hoping he'd understand enough to play along.

Even though Luke didn't reply Lorelai pushed on. She brought her hand up to stroke his lightly stubbled cheek before slipping her hand to his neck and pulling his lips down to hers.

For a split second Luke was sure he was dreaming and didn't react. This could NOT be happening. Then the soft press of her lips eventually registered and he kissed her back, responding fully, a long sought-after wish finally coming true.

Lorelai had been about to pull back when Luke suddenly became an active participant in the kiss. His lips came alive and he moved his mouth teasingly across her lips. Dimly she was aware of his arm sliding around her waist pulling her even closer.

Finally they broke the kiss, both needing air, completely forgetting they had an audience. Lorelai stared into Luke's eyes and it was like someone had removed a blindfold. She saw his surprise, but coupled with that she saw the darkening traces of a building desire that was taking her breath away. Her eyes dropped to lips.

Luke gazed into Lorelai's eyes noticing her confusion over what had just taken place between them and the warming spark of passion in her eyes. She'd been just as stunned as he was but the way she was looking at him mouth….

They melted together a second time, this time fully delighting in the current of electricity that seemed to fuse them together. All external sight and sound faded away and it was as if they were alone in a world just big enough for the two of them.

Debbie watched the two passionately embrace and realized she had no chance. "I'd tell you to get a room," she said snarkily, "but you probably already have one. So use it!" She flounced off in a snit.

Todd hesitated a moment longer before he too abandoned them, realizing the game was lost.

Lorelai slowly pulled back from Luke a second time. As she did so, he captured her lower lip between his and suckled at it sensuously, relinquishing it slowly, causing a tremor to run through Lorelai's body.

They stood there, eyes totally focused on each other, any reasoning or rational thought gone out the window. What was happening between them here and now superseded every thought.

Lorelai backed off slightly, her eyes still locked with Luke's. Her hand slipped off his shoulder and ran down his arm to his hand, her fingers brushing his, feeling the leap of joy as his fingers entwined with hers. She moved back even farther, tugging his hand gently, urging him to follow her.

Luke followed her without a word, his thumb lightly rubbing the back of her hand. His mind had temporarily shut down and all he saw and felt was her.

Lorelai slowly led him through the lobby and up the stairs, totally oblivious to the sights, sounds and people around them. She looked back at him every so often as if to confirm he was really there. Just the touch of his hand, the brush of his fingers had scattered her wits and she was operating on gut feelings only. And her gut told her she wanted him.

They stopped at her door and she regretfully dropped his hand to go searching for her room key. She found it and glanced over at him as she tried to put the key into the lock. The darkened color of his eyes and the hunger she saw in them suddenly overwhelmed her and she dropped her eyes almost shyly. Her coordination fled and she fumbled with the key.

"Let me," he whispered, his fingers brushing up against hers again, initiating contact, his warm breath skimming her cheek. She looked up at him from under her lashes and felt her desire for him hit her full force. The door swung open noiselessly.

Lorelai stepped into the semi-darkened room and turned to see him rooted to the spot, his turn to be shy. She was beyond that at this point. She reached out and grabbed a handful of his sweater and slowly dragged him over the threshold.

Lorelai managed to keep her hold on Luke and get the door closed before seizing another handful of his sweater and pushing him up against the door, kissing him furiously. She felt his arms go round her and his hands splay across her ass, pulling her close to his growing erection.

Luke brought his hands up to her face, lightly stroking her cheeks with his thumbs, moving his lips persuasively over hers, coaxing her to lips to part. As she did so, his tongue languidly explored her mouth. His one hand moved to cradle her head while the other move to caress her back.

Lorelai freed her lips, coming up for air. She had just taken a deep breath when she felt him unzip her dress. Her breath expelled in one long gasp at the unexpected freedom. She nibbled at his neck as he slowly slid her dress down until gravity took over and it dropped to the floor. Lorelai stepped back and kicked her dress aside, standing in front of him, letting him look his fill, shivering in anticipation at the glint in his eyes.

Then she stepped toward him again, a sudden unquenchable desire to touch and taste him. She slid her hands under the bottom of his sweater and keeping her hands flat against his torso, worked the sweater up and off.

Lorelai rained light kisses on Luke's chest, her fingers splayed and exploring every inch of him as he tortuously fondled her lace-covered breasts. Her mouth followed the path of her hands as she worked her way down over his heated skin to his stomach. She ran her hands down his muscular thighs as she knelt in front of him, wanting more.

Luke let out a harsh breath and leaned his head back against the door. He didn't know how she was doing it, maybe he was somehow communicating his hopes and fantasies about them getting together but she was driving him wild. He felt her hands travel up and grip the waistband of his pants as she oh-so deliciously tugged the zipper down.

She was seized by a sudden urgency. As soon as she unsnapped his pants she drew them and his boxers down, his rock-hard shaft spring forth.

"Mmmm," she said throatily as she greedily took him into her mouth. She felt his hands in her hair as she worked up and down his length, hearing him gasp then growl at her. She repeated the sounds back at him, feeling his body jerk as the vibrations of her sounds stimulated him.

Luke could take no more. He grabbed her arms and pulled her up, kissing her almost ferociously. His hands made quick work of the hook on her bra and he pulled it free. He broke away from her mouth and drank in the sight of her naked breasts, his hands then his lips blazing a hot wet trail to her hardened nipples.

Lorelai groaned at the sensation of his tongue swirling lazy circles on her breasts. She didn't want to wait any longer. She stepped back again, this time pulling him with her. He willing followed, unwilling to remove neither his hands nor his mouth from gorgeous body.

She swiped at the bed-coverings, moving them aside as he lowered her to the bed, all the while fueling the fire he'd started inside her. His hands traveled down her sides and he hooked either side of her thong, easily slipping it off and she was just as naked as he was. He tossed it over his shoulder and grinned wolfishly at her.

She moved further onto the bed, her body enticing him to follow, both of them knowing their waiting was at an end. She wrapped her thighs around his waist as she felt his hardened tip brush up against her folds. He paused for a moment, which bordered on an eternity, then he plunged deep, both of them moaning as they joined into one.

Luke stilled momentarily, instinctively giving her the time to adjust to him. Just when she thought she would go insane from the wait, his hips dipped lower and he went even deeper. He withdrew with an aching slowness, only to plunge into her again.

Lorelai was ready for him. Her internal muscles contracted around him, working up and down him in waves and they were both lost in the rhythm of their own special dance, surging and ebbing together, gently at first. Before long it was impossible to stem the tide of sensations rushing through their bodies. Their pace grew quicker, then quicker still, the pleasure washing over them faster and faster until they broke through to the other side. Their cries of pleasure mingled as one as they floated along the waves of fulfillment.

Lorelai clung to Luke moving slowly, allowing the feeling to subside in its own time. When he raised his head, she gently caressed his face, smiling at him. He gently withdrew, pulled the quilt and the sheet up over them both.

Then gathering her close in his arms, they slept.

* * *

As the morning light filtered into the room, an errant ray wheeled its way up her pillow striking Lorelai's closed eyelids. She scrunched up her eyes in irritation before opening them and squinting at the offending sunlight. She lay on her side facing the windows—windows that had drapes that she forgot to draw. She moved her head slightly out of the way and tried to settle back into sleep but it was too late. Her brain had woken up.

She sighed sleepily, half-remembering she wasn't in her bed at home, she was at an inn and it had turned out to be a dud. Her jumbled mind was sketchily trying to make sense of the previous night but she kept getting her reality mixed up with a wild dream she'd had. She'd dreamt their reconnaissance mission had turned into a total loss and she and Luke had ended up in bed together.

Her eyes snapped open as she remembered her dream. She'd had dreams about Luke before. She still thought about the dream where she was carrying his twins but never had she conjured up anything like this. She vividly recalled his soft but demanding lips kissing her, making her crazy with want. His hands stealthily bringing her body to life, blotting out everything but the desperate need to have him inside her and when they came together….

Lorelai let out a shaky breath knowing she would have to collect herself before she saw Luke this morning. She had to behave normally around him. She also knew would never, ever confess this dream to anyone. She tried to chalk it up to the fact they were spending so much time together, but the implications were too obvious to ignore. She feared she would risk Luke's friendship if she did or suggested they become something more.

Her mind made up, she did her best to purge the images of Luke making passionate love to her. God, it had been so amazing. Determined to go back to sleep and forget all about Luke, Lorelai shifted her body and tried to snuggle deeper into the bed.

She felt a heavy weight at her waist, not really pinning her down, but foreign to her nonetheless. She slipped her hand beneath the covers to the offending object only to stop short. An arm was casually slung about her waist.

Lorelai eased over onto her back, ignoring the sparks of delight that coursed through her body as the lax phantom arm rubbed across her stomach as she turned and looked over at the other side of the bed.

Her mouth dropped open as she took in the sight of Luke, sound asleep, his face half-buried in the pillow, less than a foot from her. Her heart began to race and her breathing increased as sudden panic built up inside her. Oh god, she thought, it wasn't a dream! Logic, friendship and common sense had taken a sabbatical last night and they really did it! She was suddenly feeling very uncertain. What the hell had they done? What—

"Gah!" she shrieked at the top of her lungs.

"Wha? What?" Luke reared up rudely awakened and looked around before crashing back on the pillow. He shook his head trying to wake up. "What's wrong?"

Lorelai's eyes rounded as he'd sat up. Lord, he was naked! Dimly she realized she was too under the same blanket. When he'd raised up the sheet covering her breasts slipped down to dangerous levels. She tugged the sheet higher realizing that Luke was now fully awake and staring at her. Be cool, she chided herself. Be calm, be collected, be—

"What in the hell are you doing here?" she blurted out trying to tug the sheet even higher.

"What do you mean what am I doing here" Luke asked in confusion. "You dragged me in here last night." He was surprised by her attitude. He also couldn't help but notice how she was edging away from him, pulling more and more of the sheet to her and exposing more and more of him. He grabbed at the sheet and tugged it back to cover himself.

"What happened?" she asked. "What would ever possess you to do this?" She tugged at the sheet again, harder.

"Me?" Luke repeated dumbfounded. "What about you?" he demanded, trying to hold onto the sheet in this ridiculous tug of war. "You kissed me!"

"You kissed me back!" Lorelai said, her words sounding absurdly childish to her own ears but she continued on doggedly. "You weren't supposed to kiss me back!" She made it sound as if their current situation was all his fault. She reached over and grabbed more of the sheet pulling hard.

"You're the one who brought me up here last night!" Luke reminded her. He realized he was losing the battle for the sheet and lunged for the quilt as they both sprang up on opposite sides of the bed. Lorelai had the sheet covering her front and Luke managed to maintain his dignity and get the quilt wrapped around his waist. He glowered at her in exasperation before noticing that the sunlight streaming into the window behind her was silhouetting her shapely form, making the sheet almost transparent. He almost told her but perversely clamped his mouth firmly shut. In spite of the situation, he drank in the luscious view she was unknowingly giving him, extremely grateful for the thickness of the quilt that hid his body's response.

"You shouldn't have come in," Lorelai railed at him. She was at a complete loss as to how to handle the situation. She wished she had time to think clearly about what happened but she couldn't. So she recklessly plunged headlong in to defense mode, her mouth running free, speaking without thinking. "You should've stayed zipped up and this never would have happened!" she hollered at him.

Luke threw her an outraged look before replying. "As I recall, YOU were the one who unzipped me," he said accusingly then paused for a beat before going in for the kill, "with your teeth."

Oh lord, she had! The finer details of the past night were finally coming sharply into focus. She stood there mutely, remembering how she led him to her room and what had followed. She couldn't blame him for doing exactly what she had wanted.

"So think again," he said finishing off his rant. "You were just as willing in all of this as I was." He was done talking to her. Right now all he wanted to do was get the hell out of there. He began retrieving his clothes that were scattered around the floor. He couldn't recollect when he'd been more frustrated and angry at her than he was at this moment. Her reaction had spoiled the perfect night they'd had together and it was clear to him she was sorry it ever happened.

"I am sorry I ever got rooked into that stupid bet," he shouted at her. He moved to the bathroom.

"You and me both pal!" Lorelai shot back at his retreating back.

"Oh by the way," he turned back at her, sarcasm dripping from every word. "I'd advise you not to get the number of this place's linen supplier. You probably want a better quality of sheet. I can see right through that one!"

Lorelai gasped trying to bunch the sheet in front of her, realizing that the damage was already done. She looked around vainly for something more substantial to cover herself. "Give me the quilt!" she demanded.

"Not on your life!" Luke replied as he slammed the bathroom door behind him.

tbc

* * *

Sorry to break it there but it would have been too long. I also have to turn my attention to finishing bigbagofweird's story but I will try to update this one so you have something to read from me!

Okay admit it. How many of you were ready to kill me when it looked like this was just going to be a dream? Hands? Anyone? Hee.

Last thing: We all think alike I am sure of it. After polishing sections of this chapter yesterday I was on the TWoP site reading about the GG Meet and Greet. Hee.


	6. Lemonade from Lemons

Hello, did you miss me? I could give you a list of excuses of why I'm late with this but I won't. Here is the next installment. Hope you enjoy it. As always, reviews if you are so inclined!

~#~

Lemonade from Lemons

Lorelai took mean satisfaction stomping down the steps of the Crap Shack. Each time she pounded a stair was saying "So there!" She only wished the source of her irritation was around to be on the receiving end of her temper.

It had been two days since they'd come back from the Victoria Inn. Two days with no coffee or anything else from Luke's. Two days of vacillating on choices for the Dragonfly. Two days of not even seeing Luke let alone speaking to him.

When they met up in the lobby to make the trip home, Luke gave her a withering stare, turned and went out to the Jeep, leaving her to settle the bill and lug her own suitcase. The ride back had been without conversation, pretty much like the ride the day before only this time, the silence was so tense, so threatening, so thick she could've cut it with a knife. Luke slouched in his seat and gazed morosely out the passenger window as if he couldn't stand to look at her. She'd barely stopped the Jeep when they arrived at Sniffy's and Luke was out the door, quickly moving to the back to get his things. As she left she saw him almost viciously chuck his duffel bag into the truck bed before disappearing into the tavern. In spite of herself she was curious about the place but she gunned the engine and headed for home.

Lorelai flopped down on the couch, covering her eyes with her arm, shutting out her world. Until she figured out how to calm herself down, this would continue to rankle her and she would have no peace. She sighed and tried to relax, hoping for a much needed respite.

She took deep even breaths and let her mind drift. By slow degrees she could feel her mind and her body unwind. Her breathing smoothed out naturally and her mind wove a path away from the riotous thoughts she had been thinking almost non-stop.

A gentle smile curved her lips. It was working. All she needed to do was think pleasant thoughts. Thoughts about finding her favorite shoes. Thoughts about devouring Sookie's raspberry chocolate torte. Thoughts of—

Luke, lying on top of her, suckling her left breast.

She sat up quickly with a groan, for the moment ignoring the leap of joy that suddenly surged through her. She mentally shook her head trying to banish those images and the corresponding surges of delight they brought her. The memories of what had taken place between them were starting to pop up more and more. Every time she went to sleep, her mind replayed their interlude from start to finish and she had reveled in her dreams, rode the sensations out their blissful end. She was appalled that she woke herself up moaning, shaking and completely sated, having dreamt about Luke making love to her over and over again. In the mornings, when she was in the shower, scrubbing her body clean, her mind would play tricks on her and it was his hands that were caressing her soapy body.

He shouldn't have made love to her she decided unreasonably wondering why he would do such a thing. Sure she'd kissed him. And had led him upstairs to her room, she reminded herself. And pulled him over the threshold, the voice inside her head added. And pretty much jumped him as soon as the door was closed. And…

She blew out a breath, not willing to admit she had initiated the whole episode even with the evidence staring her in the face. Her body focused on was how wonderful it was, surging again with delight. Unbidden, her mind was roaming into dangerous territory once more. She doggedly shook her head.

The phone rang and she answered it.

"Hi," Sookie greeted her. "How are things going today?"

"Hey Sook," Lorelai replied. "Things are going fine."

"I assume you and Luke will be going over faucets and bathroom sinks today?"

Lorelai inwardly groaned. She needed to make decisions on the bathrooms but all of her stuff was still at Luke's. She had thought herself so clever to ferry everything over there so that no matter what they worked on, she would have everything at her fingertips. It had worked out well until now. She had accomplished more with Luke than she had previously going it alone. But now that they weren't speaking, she had to figure out a way to get all of that stuff back. Man, she shook her head, she'd really shot herself in the foot over this one.

"No, Sook, we aren't getting together today. I have some errands and a meeting with the decorator today," Lorelai said evasively. She dearly hoped by focusing on the Dragonfly, she would forget about Luke, but now it seemed the two were inextricably entwined.

"Thank goodness, the Victoria Inn was such a dud," Sookie commented. "No competition there."

"Yeah," Lorelai agreed.

"I'm sorry again that I couldn't go with you," Sookie said penitently. "It was probably really boring going alone."

Lorelai hunched her shoulders guiltily. She hadn't told Sookie that she had taken Luke. "Boring isn't the word I'd use," she said.

Sookie laughed, "You should've made Luke go with you. Just getting him there and seeing his reaction to it all would've been worth it."

"Um, yeah," Lorelai stammered. "Oh look at the time. I have a meeting in twenty minutes," she lied. She still had hours before the meeting. "I have to cut this short. Call you later?"

"Sure," Sookie replied. "Let me know what you decide."

"Sure thing. Bye Sook."

Lorelai set the phone down, disgusted with herself. Now she was lying to Sookie too. And she had deliberately kept Rory out of the loop when she called. She stamped her foot in vexation, unreasonably laying this on Luke's shoulders too. Problem was he wasn't around so she could vent at him.

Since she wouldn't go to Luke's, she went into the kitchen to make herself a late lunch. After poking around her refrigerator, she found some leftover Chinese whose expiration date, though questionable, still fell within the guidelines of being edible. She set the container on the counter and went for a fork.

The drawer stuck. She quietly cursed her house for having so many quirks and minor idiosyncrasies like warped doors, leaky windows and sticky drawers. She tugged harder. She should've had Luke check this out she thought absently as she braced her feet and heaved at the drawer.

There was a distinct cracking sound as the drawer suddenly came free, and before she could stop herself, she'd stumbled back to the table, shoving it back slightly. She'd pulled the drawer all the way out and the weight of it spilled all the silverware onto the floor.

Her anger ratcheted up even higher as the drawer itself fell away from the front so all she was holding was the handle and the facing of the drawer.

"Great, just great," she commented. She set her teeth and literally growled before tossing the drawer facing on the kitchen table. As she gathered up the scattered utensils she irrationally blamed Luke for this too. He usually fixed these things around her house. Granted she hadn't asked him to fix it but it was still his fault that it was broken she thought. And he could damn well fix it.

She marched over to the phone and furiously dialed the familiar number.

"Luke's," came the gruff reply.

"You need to get over here now," she commanded without preamble. "Something broke and you have to fix it."

"Lorelai?" Luke asked incredulously, dumbfounded that she was calling him after the way they parted on Sunday and by her gall.

"Bring Bert."

Luke was about to yell into the phone when he noted Patty and Babette seated at a table near the window, ears perked and looking in his direction. He realized they must have heard him say her name and were eagerly hoping to glean any sort of gossip, particularly anything about him and Lorelai.

He stepped back into the kitchen so he could reply without anyone listening in. "You have some nerve calling me and expecting me to drop everything to come over there. I'm in the middle of a lunch rush!" he gritted out in a harsh whisper. He drew in a breath trying to calm down. "What is the problem?"

"Something broke and I need you to fix it," she said evasively, her anger dissipating somewhat now that she faced with the depth of his anger which was coming through quite clearly over the phone.

"Is your house on fire?"

"No."

"Are you in imminent danger of dying?"

"No."

"What IS the problem?" he snarled.

"Just get over here as soon as possible," Lorelai said, suddenly feeling foolish for making such a big deal over something so trivial.

"Whatever it is, it can wait until things die down here and I'm damned good and ready to come over to fix it." He hung up the phone before she could reply.

"Argh," Lorelai sputtered slamming the phone down, her anger at him flaring again. She paced around the house like a caged animal, going over their phone conversation again and again. It was nearly a half hour later when she heard the banging on the door. She marched over and yanked it open.

"Took you long enough," she snarked. "You lost the bet. You're supposed to be Johnny-on-the-spot if I need something."

"I have a business to run," he countered as he stepped past her with Bert. "I can't fritter my day away catering to your whims." In truth, the lunch rush had pretty much been over when she called but he deliberately held off coming over, partially because Patty and Babette had been watching him closely. He usually responded to all of her requests almost immediately because of the way he felt about her. But since her meltdown the morning after they'd finally slept together, he knew he needed to back off from jumping whenever she called. He did still value her friendship but he had to establish some distance for his own sake and pride.

"Well this is important," she insisted, turning and leading the way to the kitchen.

He noted the broken drawer sitting on the table. "A drawer? You dragged me over here for this?" he demanded. He set Bert down.

"Hey!" she piped up. "Your services for a month remember? That covers broken drawers."

"Thanks for reminding about what is considered acceptable," he emphasized the word, "services." He picked up the facing and examined the damage.

Lorelai gasped, in shock at his words. He had wasted no time in bringing up the previous weekend. "It's not my fault you took the word services literally!"

He got out the wood glue and expertly applied it. "My mistake," he drawled. "I didn't realize you were trying to make a Love Connection with that other schmuck when you kissed me."

"I wasn't trying to make any Love Connection at all," she declared testily, staring at him, watching him efficiently piece together her broken drawer.

"You kissed me," he pointed out.

"You weren't supposed to kiss me back!" she shot back.

He set the drawer down to dry and turned on her. "What was I supposed to think? You drag me to that stupid place; people are hooking up left and right and suddenly you're kissing me! I thought this was your crazy Lorelai way of saying you were attracted to me!"

Lorelai's mouth dropped open, completely flabbergasted. She wasn't ready to admit that his words hit a little to close to home. She stepped toward him to make her point. "I am NOT attracted to you!"

"Fine!" he yelled back at her. "I'm not attracted to you either!" he lied.

They stood face to face, anger literally shooting out of their eyes at each other, breathing heavily.

They remained motionless for the span of ten seconds then both lunged at the same time.

Lorelai grabbed Luke's head and he latched onto her waist and then they were kissing. All the anger, recriminations and the separation of the past few days melted away into sheer want.

"Oh," Lorelai gasped as they came up for air, only to have Luke capture her lips again. He thrust his tongue into her open mouth and she greedily sucked it deeper. He'd ignited such a fire in her and she knew she had to have him again as soon as humanly possible or she would go mad.

"I can't keep my hands off of you," she confessed as they broke for air again. Dimly she was aware her hands were working of their own accord: they had already unbuttoned his flannel and were peeling it off his shoulders. She knocked off his hat.

Luke's hands were equally busy. He'd managed to work his hands up under her shirt and was stroking the satiny skin of her belly, her moans and whimpers of delight spurring him on. He broke body contact with her to tug her shirt over her head and she used the same interval to whip off his t-shirt. They pressed back up against each other, both groaning as their bare skin met. Luke's hands slid up her back, evoking a shiver of delight as Lorelai felt him unhook her bra and slide it off. She rubbed her hardened nipples against his chest, uttering an incoherent sound as her body jolted with desire. She wanted him. She wanted him now.

She briefly freed her mouth to ask a question. "Upstairs?"

Luke's mouth went to her neck, nibbling on her exquisite throat. "Too far." He didn't want to wait. His hands slid down to her ass and he pulled her against him tightly, letting her feel how she was affecting him.

"Here is good," she decided as he pressed his hardened erection into her belly. Even through two pairs of jeans he branded her. Their hands were determinedly stripping off the rest of their clothes as they sank down to the floor.

Lorelai sharply inhaled as she felt the cold tile and Luke rolled them both so she was on top. She braced a hand on the floor next to his shoulder. He reached up and tucked her tumbling locks behind her ear so he could see her face. She met the hungry look in his eyes, knowing he could see the same in hers. God, he had lit such a fire in her.

She kept her gaze locked with his as she reached down and wrapped her hand around his shaft. His eyes half-closed and his mouth dropped open, the force of his need nearly blotting out all else. His hands moved to her hips, guiding her. He felt her position him at her entrance but when he tried to pull her down, she resisted.

Lorelai looked down into Luke's flushed face, his eyes silently pleading with her and she gave him an evil grin. She leaned down and kissed his throbbing mouth, all the while resisting the pressure of his hands urging her down. She kissed him long and hard, their tongues desperately twining in the sweetest of battles, then she pulled her mouth away from his. He raised his head up to follow but she laid her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back to the floor. He looked up at her questioningly, breathing heavily.

She gave him an almost lecherous grin before slowly sinking onto his rigid shaft.

Luke's breath expelled in a rush. Lorelai's jaw dropped in surprise as his heat drove deeply into her. She let out a shaky sigh as her internal muscles instinctively tightened around him. Luke thrust upwards and they were caught up, easily finding their rhythm.

Lorelai panted as she rose up and down riding his shaft both the exertion and pleasure flitting across her features. Her hips undulating as they surged together slowly rising up to that torturous peak, both frantic to get there yet tarrying long enough to fully experience every pleasure. Luke watched almost in awe as she moved almost languidly on his body, pleasuring them both.

Lorelai quickened her pace, recognizing the first flutterings of what was promising to be one hell of an orgasm. Luke's eyes held her spellbound. All she could see was the darkening blue of his eyes, feel his hands keeping her anchored to him and revel his pulsating strokes taking her ever higher.

She flung her head back as she came, spasming around him uncontrollably and he was there too, a few thrusts later. The floating sensation seemed to last forever then Luke's inarticulate groans mingled with hers as they hurtled downward from their lofty peak. They continued on, their movements finally slowing as their pleasure ebbed.

Lorelai collapsed onto Luke, completely spent. She clutched at him and felt his hands glide up her back, holding her to him, comforting her, giving her the much-wanted closeness she desired. After a time, she pulled off him and half-moved, half-fell off to the side.

They lay quietly for a few minutes letting the world settle back into normalcy once again. Reality then reared its head in Lorelai's mind once again. Luke still might be angry about the weekend or the silly fight they had just had. He might even be angry at the way, she now recognized, that she lured him here to have him.

Lorelai shifted her head on his shoulder so she could see his face. "Are you mad at me?" she asked tentatively.

"Why because you rode me harder than Seattle Slew?" he asked teasingly with a grin. "Hell, no. Don't apologize, I loved it," he assured her. "Trust me, I'm sure that the tables will be turned and I'll be taking advantage of you. It's just that…" he trailed off.

"What?" she asked curiously.

"Well," he continued on, "this is the second time we've been together. And, uh, neither time I had…I've been…" he stopped not sure how to go on.

"Dressed for the party?" Lorelai supplied as it dawned on her. He nodded at her. She smiled, "Don't worry; I've covered, so in a sense," her eyes flicked downward, "you are too." Her smile faded. "I wasn't just talking about being mad today though. I was talking about last weekend. I did kiss you."

Luke tugged her closer, willing to share the responsibility, "Well, I did kiss you back."

She smiled at him, relieved.

"We do need to figure out where we go from here though," Luke said. "Now that this has happened, I'm pretty sure this is going to again, especially since we'll be alone, working at my place on the Dragonfly."

"You're still willing to help me out?" she asked incredulously.

"I'd be a fool not to," he admitted. "This whole "services" thing with the bet has taken on a new meaning. So yeah, I'll still help wherever I can."

"Thank you," she hugged him. "You have no idea how big of a help you've been so far. As long as we get the Dragonfly stuff done, I have no problem with any other," she paused wickedly, "services you might provide."

They both laughed at the intimate joke before Lorelai looked around. "I can't believe we had sex on the kitchen floor."

"Yeah and I got stuck on the bottom on the cold floor," Luke mock-complained.

"Aww," Lorelai said sitting up and leaning over him, her hand resting on his stomach, "and here I thought I had already made it up to you."

"Trust me," he promised with an amused glint in his eyes, "you will."

She chuckled again as she stood up and surveyed the clothes scattered in a circle around them. Luke stood up as well. She bent over to grab her bra, oblivious of the warming effect it was having on Luke. His eyes were glued to her firm, naked ass.

"I have to tell you," she said over her shoulder, "this day has certainly turned out better than I planned." She bent over again to pick up her jeans lying on the floor in front of the kitchen sink. "I was so—Ah!"

The prolonged sight of Lorelai, naked and bent over was too much for him to resist. Luke pounced, grabbing her low on her hips and hoisting her high in the air and pressing himself against her ass.

"Oooh," Lorelai inhaled sharply with equal parts of desire and fear. Luke had lifted her legs clean off the floor and she dangled precariously in his grasp. She reached out and latched onto the kitchen sink. Desire coursed through her as he maneuvered his erection between her legs.

"I guess its time to make it up to you over the floor," she half-joked.

Luke shifted her higher and she braced herself against the sink. She could feel him bend his knees slightly and the tip of his erection nudged its way to her opening. His grip tightened and he plunged into her.

"Oh god!" Lorelai cried as her internal muscles drew him in deeper.

He vigorously thrust at a steady, pounding pace. Lorelai pushed her hands on the counter trying to push herself back on him as hard as she could. He held her high and her feet were useless, still off the ground. The sensation was so liberating. Every time he delved into her she felt like she was flying. He ground up against her, changing his grip so his arm was looped around her lower half and he leaned over her, his chest pressed to her back. She supported his upper body as his free hand snaked beneath her to play with her nipples. He lightly twisted and tweaked them, moving from one to the other. She could feel his hot breath in her ear.

Their frenzied coupling finally hit its peak. Lorelai screamed out her pleasure as Luke exploded inside her, the heat of his release radiating throughout her body. His continuing thrusts send little shards of ecstasy flickering through her sensitized body.

Mindlessly Luke stroked himself deep inside her, gradually slowing then stopping all together. They panted together as one. He eased himself out of her and gingerly lowered her legs. As soon as her feet touched the floor, her knees gave out. Luke gently pushed her up against the counter with his body and held her in place as she tried to collect herself.

"Wow. You weren't kidding about taking advantage," she said as she caught her breath.

"Totally your fault," he replied trying to control his own breathing. "You may want to remember the consequences next time you bend over naked."

"I keep that in mind for future fun," she shot back.

They stood there quietly, Luke's arms wrapped around her stomach, his thumb rubbing her skin in a back and forth motion, his body giving her the support she needed until she could stand on her own.

Lorelai head was resting on his shoulder as she relaxed into him. "You were amazing," she said softly, stunned.

"Don't sell yourself short," he said, his lips brushing her hair. "It takes two."

She turned in his arms and looped her own arms around his neck, hugging him. "Thank you."

He pulled back slightly. "You're welcome. So will you be coming to the diner to work today?" He tried but failed to keep the eagerness out of his voice.

She giggled at the inflection on the word work. "No, not to work," she pouted, "but definitely for dinner. I have appointments," she glanced at the clock, "god, which I am going to be late for."

She moved to get her clothes again and he stopped her. "Let me, otherwise you may miss them completely." He scooped up her clothes and handed them to her before picking up his own. "I'm working late at the diner and opening early tomorrow," he said regretfully. Dinner would be all they'd have time for and he would be working.

Lorelai quickly slipped on her clothing, admiring him as he did the same. "How about tomorrow then?" she countered.

Luke finished dressing and picked up his cap and set it on his head before grabbing the drawer putting it back into place, now completely fixed. "Tomorrow works for me." He grinned at her then picked up Bert and headed for the door, not wanting to delay her for her meeting. Lorelai followed.

"Hey," she stopped him before he could open the door. "Thanks for fixing…things," she said and he knew she wasn't just talking about the drawer.

"My pleasure," he grinned at her wolfishly. "And I do mean that literally." He set Bert down and caught her to him giving her a passionate good-bye kiss. She rubbed up against him as she felt his hands cup her ass. He stepped back.

"Mine too," she smiled at him. He went out the door and she closed it behind him and leaned against it, still smiling dreamily.

God she loved this bet she thought as she went to get ready.

~#~

tbc

Sexual disclaimer: Please try this at home!


	7. There's a Fine Line

A Fine Line

"Hi, you've reached Rory Gilmore. Please leave a message."

"Rats," Lorelai frowned as she walked along. Once she heard the beep, she launched into her monolog. "Hello there, daughter of mine, light of my life, it's me your one and only mother, unless you've put yourself up for adoption. I haven't heard from you in a while," she rambled on, "and as you know, not hearing from you just makes me call you more often." Lorelai paused to take a breath. "Call me," she ordered. "Let Mommy know how you are doing and hey, take a break once in a while and come see your mother."

Lorelai clicked off the phone and continued on towards town. She'd had a productive morning at the Inn. Things were moving right along but she needed to make up for the lost time of the past few days when she was speaking to Luke.

Luke. For the umpteenth time, she recalled their passionate encounter in her kitchen yesterday afternoon and grinned. She had dreamt about him again last night as well. Hot, sweaty, blurry, passionate dreams that left her sighing in contentment when she awoke and wishing he was there. She shook her head at their idiocy. All those times they had come so close only to back off from one another. Even though she was sure their friendship would change she had to believe that it would change for the better.

Because of her good mood, her arrival at Luke's was more like an entrance. Everyone stopped what they were doing, eyes drawn to her arrival. Patty and Babette were sitting at a table and Kirk was at the counter.

"Hello all!" she greeted everyone warmly. She glanced around casually but the person she was most hoping to see was not there.

"Hey, Lorelai," Lane said as she passed by, orders in hand. She served them to Patty and Babette. She walked back. "How are things?"

"Good," Lorelai replied cheerfully. "Things are going great at the Inn. Now if I could just get a hold of Rory then life would be perfect," she quipped.

"I talked to her last night, she's doing okay," Lane supplied.

"Huh," Lorelai pondered, momentarily deflated, wondering. If Rory had time to call Lane, why didn't she call her? "Well if you talk to her again before I do, tell her to call me." Maybe Rory was waiting until she had a solid block of time to talk before calling home.

"Will do," Lane nodded as she headed back to the kitchen.

Lorelai again casually scanned the diner: still no sign of Luke. She was about to head to the counter when she was hailed by Miss Patty.

"So Lorelai," Patty drawled, "how are things going with the Dragonfly? We haven't seen you around here much lately." She eyed Lorelai speculatively. "Luke is still helping you decorate isn't he?" she asked leadingly.

"Yes he is," she replied easily.

"I wouldn't have thought he'd be much help in that department," Babette piped up. "How's he doing?"

'Great," Lorelai assured her. "He has a real talent for this and I think he is enjoying it."

"Hmmm," Patty said speculatively, "I always thought his talents would lie in," she smirked, "other areas."

"Patty," Lorelai remonstrated, feigning complete shock to cover up the sudden blush she felt creeping up her cheeks. "I think Luke likes helping me pick out materials for the Dragonfly."

Luke came out of the stockroom and noticed Lorelai talking to the gossips.

"Hey," he greeted Lorelai as he came over to the table. "You here for lunch?"

"Yeah I wanted to grab a bite before we got back to work," Lorelai nodded. She gestured to the two women, "I was just telling them how much help you've been and how I think you're starting to enjoy decorating the Dragonfly."

"Its hell on earth," Luke snorted in reply.

"Excuse me?" Lorelai said in surprise.

"I'd rather have my wisdom teeth pulled," Luke informed her, "a root canal without Novocain."

With that declaration he passed her and continued on to the counter. Lorelai gaped at his retreating back before following. She sat down next to Kirk.

"How can you say you don't like helping me with the decorating?" she asked stunned. Luke already set a cup on the counter and was filling it. "You're so good at it," she told him.

"Luke, I hear the Queer Eye guys are looking for another guy," Kirk piped up.

"That's why," Luke replied to Lorelai's question. "Shut up Kirk."

"Yeah, they're all about guys who embrace their feminine side," Kirk went on.

"Kirk!" Luke barked threateningly.

Lorelai watched in amusement as Kirk hurried threw down some money and high-tailed it out of the diner. He may be strange, she thought, but he wasn't a total idiot: he knew just have far to push Luke while still managing to have an avenue of escape.

Luke growled in frustration, watching as Kirk scampered away before transferring his glare back to Lorelai. "What'll you have?"

"Cheeseburger, chili fries," Lorelai replied.

Luke headed back into the kitchen and it wasn't long before Cesar came out with her order.

"Where's Luke?" Lorelai asked as Cesar set the plate down.

"He's working in the back," Cesar informed her, "he said to tell you he'll be out in a little while."

"Hmm," Lorelai said, a little put out. She had been eager to see him after yesterday but he was behaving like their passionate encounter had never happened. Maybe she misread him?

She ruminated while eating her lunch, having a lengthy internal debate when Luke finally reappeared.

"Finished?" he asked. At her bemused nod, he continued, "I suppose you have a ton of stuff you want to go over?" She could hear the reluctance in his voice, loud and clear.

"If you don't want to…" she began.

"No, let's get it over with," he decided. "Lane, I'll be upstairs working with Lorelai. Shout up if it gets busy."

"We should be okay, but I will," Lane answered. "Have fun!"

Luke snorted derisively as he led Lorelai through the curtain. They quickly mounted the stairs to his apartment. Lorelai wondered what would happen when they got inside. When they entered, Luke continued on to the living room. She noticed all of her books and catalogs had been moved to the coffee table. She looked at him questioningly.

"I needed the table to do some paperwork," Luke explained reasonably, "so I moved everything. We should be able to work just fine here. Okay?"

"Um…okay," Lorelai agreed. She sat on the couch, expecting Luke to join her.

"Let's get to work." He sat on the chair.

Lorelai looked at him in confusion but he was already rummaging through the catalogs. "What's on the agenda for today?"

They spent the next ninety minutes playing catch-up from the last few days and much to Lorelai's disappointment, Luke was all business. He was totally focused on the tasks before them. He freely offered his opinions, corralling her back to the task at hand when she strayed off on a tangent. Each time he did so, she grew even more confused. He hadn't said a word about the previous day, wasn't even giving her any indication of his thoughts or whether or not he changed his mind. From his demeanor, it seemed like yesterday never happened.

After an overlong debate about sinks and faucets, Lorelai picked up another catalog.

"Last item for today: doors," Lorelai announced.

"Thank god," Luke said under his breath.

"Alright, that's it," Lorelai said, dropping the catalog. She'd had enough. "What gives?"

"What?" Luke questioned.

"Yesterday, we were together, not once but twice," Lorelai ranted. "You couldn't wait to have me and today we haven't even exchanged so much as a handshake. Again, what gives?" As much as she was afraid to bring it up, she had to. "Are you sorry about what happened?"

Luke's mouth dropped open in surprise at her tirade. He gazed into her eyes and could see the uncertainty there. He got up and sat next to her on the couch.

"What makes you think I'm sorry about what happened?"

"Downstairs, you were so grumpy. You said you didn't want to help me out," Lorelai pointed out. "What else am I supposed to think?"

"Do you really think I would tell those interfering busybodies how I really feel about spending time alone with you?" Luke asked her. "Granted decorating wouldn't be the first thing I would think of doing when we're alone but I did agree to help you out, so I'm helping you out."

"But now that we are alone," Lorelai pouted, "you've been all business. All work and no play makes Luke a dull boy and Lorelai very lonely," she whined.

Luke leaned closer to her. "If we didn't stick to business first we wouldn't get any work done," he told her confidentially.

"So you really do want to, ah, be with me?" she asked a little shyly.

"Lorelai," his warm breath caressed her cheek, "never doubt that. I definitely want to be with you. I plan on being in this for the long haul. I hope you understand that I would rather not have the whole town in on this. We can tell them when we are good and ready but for now, let's just keep it between us."

Lorelai was so overcome by his declaration that she was unable to speak. What he said made total sense. She gave him a tender smile, her eyes brimming with relief and happiness.

"So," Luke said sitting back putting some space between them, "let's tackle those doors."

She looked over at him. His expression hadn't really changed from before but his gaze was warm and steady. Lorelai felt giddy. Now that she understood his behavior she had regained a little of her aplomb. She opened up the catalog and stared at the pages, unseeingly. Suddenly she snapped it shut and put it down.

"What's wrong?" Luke asked.

"Nothing," Lorelai said, matter-of-factly. "I think we've done enough for today that's all."

"Oh really?" He quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Yes, really," she said more firmly. "It's my Inn so I get to decide how long we have to work." She grinned at him flirtatiously, her world back to normal. "After all, it is all about me."

"All about you, huh?" he repeated in amusement. "Well, you're the boss here. You get to decide when we knock off." He leaned a little closer to her. "What shall we do now?" he asked in a husky voice.

"What would you like to do?" she countered mischievously.

"Oh, I have some ideas but I think maybe I should clear them with you," he said sliding next to her. "I mean since this is all about you."

She laughed at his sudden playfulness. "Feel free to improvise," she allowed.

"Good."

Luke drew her into his arms and kissed her, a slow, hot kiss that told her exactly how much the afternoon business had tried his patience. He parted her lips with his tongue, exploring her mouth. They drew back slightly for air.

"Hmmm," she sighed against him. "My favorite part of the agenda," she mumbled against his lips.

He gave her a devilish grin before standing up and tugging her to her feet. "C'mere you," he said pulling her tight against him, his lips closing over hers again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and rubbed up against him. She could feel his hands caressing her back, cupping her ass.

"Was this what you had in mind?" she asked breathlessly.

"God yes." He kissed her again.

Lorelai was vaguely aware they were moving towards his bed but she was too interested in undoing the buttons of his flannel. As she stepped back to take his shirt off, her skirt fell to her feet. She struggled to get his shirt off as he went to work on her blouse buttons.

"Hang on a minute," she said in amusement. Their impatience was exciting them both.

"Nope" he told her, taking her hands away from his body. As she gave him a questioning look, he grinned at her again wolfishly. "I'm just making it all about you."

She laughed delightedly and curious to see what he had in mind, dropped her arms to her sides. Luke's grin got even broader as he realized she was acquiescing. He shrugged out of his shirt and went back to work on her buttons. When it hung open, he delicately slipped his hands inside, moving upward, lightly brushing her nipples with his thumbs before easing her blouse off. She shivered as the fabric lightly tickled her skin. As the blouse dropped, she realized she was standing before him in only a bra and panties while he was still practically fully dressed.

"No fair," she whispered as he nibbled on her earlobe. "You're still dressed."

"Don't worry, I'll catch up," he said as he tugged his t-shirt off and pulled her close again. The warmth when their skin connected caused him to groan. Hs hands, at her waist, slid around to her back and up. She felt him unhooking her bra. He drew back taking the bra with him, holding it up like it was a prize then tossing it over his shoulder.

Lorelai's fingers plucked at the button on his jeans and he shooed her hands away again. He quickly undid them and eased down his zipper, pushing his pants and boxers down until gravity took over and they flopped to the floor. He stepped out of them and kicked them aside before taking off his shoes and socks.

He stood before her completely naked and she couldn't resist reaching out to touch him. She laid her hand flat on his chest before allowing it to glide lower. Luke sucked in a quick breath before capturing her hand and grasping it. His raised his other hand and waggled a finger at her. He had other things in mind.

"All about you," he admonished her.

His hands then went to her waist and he brushed them downward over her hips, catching the sides of her panties and sending them to the floor. He enveloped her in his arms once again, pressing the full length of his body against her, groaning at the heat that fused them together.

Luke kissed her again, bending her back over the bed, his arm bracing the mattress so he could lower them both down gently. Lorelai relaxed into the bed, welcoming Luke's weight. She could feel him growing against her hip and she wriggled enticingly beneath him.

Lorelai opened her eyes as his lips feathered kisses along her jaw before sinking into her throat to nibble then wend his way to the delectable area just below her ear. His large hands covered her breasts, massaging them before tweaking her nipples between his fingers. Luke's mouth traveled down and the next moment he was suckling her nipples, his wet mouth moving from one to the other. Lorelai groaned as his tongue curled around the overly-sensitized nub, drawing it into the heat of his mouth. The tip of this tongue swirled around it, all the while his fingers played with the other until he moved his attention back to it.

"Oh Luke, that feels so good," she moaned. Her hands slipped over his shoulders and down his back, urging him to continue.

Luke took his time feasting on her breasts before he moved lower tracing her ribs, working his way to her belly. He could hear Lorelai panting. Every so often her breath would catch and her back would arch upward as if she couldn't contain herself. Luke continued to explore her with his hands and wet tongue, making her writhe arousingly beneath him. He knew he was driving her crazy but he ached to acquaint himself with every inch of her.

Lorelai parted her legs as Luke moved lower, his mouth now intent on her belly button. He nibbled, he sucked, he thrust his tongue into it.

Desire shot through her. "Luke, I don't know if I can take anymore," Lorelai begged. "Please."

"Relax," he whispered against her belly, the vibrations of his voice making the hot blood rush through her veins. He was enjoying getting to know her body intimately. "It's all about you," he whispered huskily.

"Oh god." Lorelai knew he wasn't done yet. Her thighs gripped his upper torso, desperate to have him inside her and still he resisted.

Luke moved lower still easing her right thigh over his shoulder. His mouth trailed down to her flat belly just above her curls. Her hips bucked up as he blazed a trail to her left hip.

Suddenly he drew back, "What's this?" he questioned sharply.

Lorelai managed to raise herself up on her elbows and looked down. She could see the faint marks his fingers had made on her hips and thighs during their frantic coupling at the kitchen sink.

"Just a little souvenir from yesterday," she managed to gasp out.

Luke's eyes widened. "I hurt you?"

"No," she panted. "I loved every minute of it. Trust me, it doesn't hurt," she said, trying to assure him. "You—oh!"

Luke soothingly kissed at the faint marks, his tongue flicking at them. He placed little nibbling kisses along her belly feeling her muscles tremble under his mouth. His hand moved further south and his forefinger finally made contact with her folds, running it up and down the opening before nudging between them. Her body shuddered as he brushed her opening and she collapsed back onto the bed unable to hold herself up anymore. She had lost control of her body.

"Please," she raggedly begged again.

Luke pressed a soft kiss on her mound and she moaned in response. "Lorelai," came the soft command, "come for me." His fingers delved into her quivering flesh, her wetness all but scalding his fingers.

Lorelai's hips thrust up uncontrollably, her internal muscles gripping his fingers pulling them deeper. "I want you," she gasped her head moving from side to side on the pillow. "I need you."

"Come for me," he repeated softly, caught up in the spectacle of response. It was an extreme turn on for him that he had brought her to this state. "Lorelai," he whispered, begging himself, "let go." He rubbed his stubbly check against her inner thigh.

It was enough to push her over the edge. "Ahhhhh!" she rose up, her body shattering into a million shards of delight. Luke's thumb zeroed in on her clit, applying pressure, rubbing in a circular motion, prolonging her release. He kept at her as she reached the apex and persisted, slowing his movements to bring her down slowly, letting her savor every nuance of her release.

Lorelai sagged into the mattress, eyes closed, her body spent. She had never been so uninhibited with anyone before. Luke had drawn her out and taken her to a whole other level of pleasure. Instead of being embarrassed by her wild, uncontrolled response she was grateful to him. He had truly seen to her needs completely and totally.

"God, you're beautiful," he said in awe. He pressed a soft kiss to her inner thigh.

Lorelai opened her eyes and gazed at him tenderly. The dark blue of his eyes, the look of wonderment, his soft smile… His look did not change, nor did the timber of his voice but she realized what she needed to do next.

"C'mere," she commanded softly.

Luke didn't need to be told twice. He braced his hands on the mattress on either side of her and moved up her body. Lorelai wrapped her arms around him and urged him down. His throbbing erection slowly plunged into her. Her mouth dropped open and she let out a shaky "oh"; her gaze locked with his.

With a trembling hand, Luke tucked her hair behind her ear before lowering his mouth to hers. He kissed her deeply, his tongue mimicking the actions of his lower body. Lorelai tightened her arms around him as he withdrew slightly only to thrust into her again. Luke broke the kiss and buried his face in her neck as his slowly and steady plunges increased in urgency.

Lorelai met his strokes suddenly realizing he was bringing her to a second orgasm. Her internal muscles flexed and quivered, delighting in each pulsating thrust. She clung to him, suddenly biting her lip as they flared out of control, surging frantically together as one.

Lorelai gasped at the first massive spurt. "Oh!" she called out as the familiar sensations swept through her body. She could hear Luke groaning, knowing he was sharing nirvana with her. Luke continued pulsating inside her, eventually slowing to the last few tapering thrusts.

Luke suddenly collapsed onto her, his weight suddenly very heavy but she welcomed it. She could feel him quivering, incapable for the moment to do anything else. Lorelai stroked his back, her hands calming him, slipping on the fine sheen of sweat from their exertions. Once again she tightened her arms around him, fiercely protective of him in his vulnerable state. This had been a perfect afternoon and he had made it so.

Gradually they floated back down to earth again. Lorelai could feel them both relax. Luke moved back and kissed her gently before rolling them so they were on their sides. He raised his head and met her gaze with an adoring look.

She smiled indulgently at him. "Sometimes it isn't just about me," she told him.

tbc


	8. Love in the Afternoon

Yes, I've finally returned to this story! I appreciate everyone's patience. As I said before this one is the toughest of all to write!

Reviews, though not necessary are greatly appreciated!

* * *

Love in the Afternoon

Lorelai reluctantly knocked on the door of her parents' house. She knew she really didn't have the time to spare for the weekly drive up to Hartford for dinner. Work was escalating at the Dragonfly and most of her time was spent there. She was already booked solid for the weekend, literally spending all of her time at the Inn, meeting with Tom, the decorator, then Sookie and Michel. She also had to follow through on all the decisions she had made with Luke. By rights, she should be at the Inn now but she wanted to see Rory. Lorelai knew that Rory's time was equally precious and she was just as busy with classes. If this was the only time they could connect, she'd make the time.

As the maid let her in, Lorelai could hear Emily's strident voice saying, "Gilmore! Richard and Emily Gilmore!" Lorelai closed the door as Emily walked past her speaking in a snarky tone into a cordless phone. "Look, we single-handedly put your restaurant on the map by praising your crab puffs at Eunice Pierpont-Pennington's granddaughter's christening—"

"Hi Mom," Lorelai interjected.

Emily waved her off and continued in a voice dripping with sarcasm, "Oh really? You're new there? Because your deft handling of this phone call displayed all the signs of a seasoned and experienced hand. Yes, go get Trey, that's a smashing idea," Emily covered the receiver, finally able to acknowledge Lorelai's presence. "Painful hello."

"What's going on?" Lorelai asked removing her coat.

"You couldn't see the smoke from Stars Hollow?" Emily asked incredulously. "Lettie burned the entrée."

Lorelai bantered with her mother, teasing her about the burning loin while Emily was on hold. Emily countered with a critique about her wardrobe, which was nothing new, but Lorelai didn't tell her most of her funds were going towards the Dragonfly. Richard turned up and entered into the game by teasing Emily about her shopping addiction and grossing Lorelai out by a query on the word loin, not in reference to food, then talking about of all things, Moby.

As the conversation progressed to the surviving members of The Beatles, Lorelai interrupted. "Could you press the pause button on this conversation? I want Rory to hear the rest of it."

Surprisingly, Emily moved on to deriding Richard's moustache, before finally confirming a reservation as long as they got there immediately. She quickly urged them all to put on their coats and leave.

"Whoa, just one little problem here: Rory?" Lorelai reminded her.

"What about her?" Emily asked perplexed.

"She's not here yet," Lorelai pointed out.

"She's not coming," Emily stated simply.

"She's not coming?" Lorelai repeated in confusion

"No, she's been sick all week and I told her she should stay in her dorm room and rest."

"She's been sick?" How did she not know this?

"Didn't you know?" Emily asked giving her an odd look.

"Oh yeah, I knew," Lorelai covered, not wanting Emily to know she didn't know what was going on with her own daughter.

As Emily herded them out the door, saying something about sea bass, Lorelai was concerned that Rory was sick and pondered that once again, they were having problems communicating. She needed to get to the bottom of this.

* * *

Lorelai paused in the doorway coming out of Luke's bathroom. They'd spent the better part of an hour arguing over which vendor would be better to supply the doors for the Dragonfly, then close to another hour before finally settling on the type of door, number plates and doorknobs. There were a few times when she thought Luke was going to strangle her over the inanity of it but he kept at it until she made a decision. Once she declared they were finished, he wasted no time by heaving her over his shoulder and carrying her to his bed.

If someone had told her a little over two weeks ago when she won this bet that she would be standing naked in Luke's apartment, recovering from some pretty mind-blowing sex, she would have told them they were crazy. She leaned against the door jamb and took in the scene before her.

Luke lay sprawled across his bed, pretty much in the same position she had left him minutes before, head hanging off the far end. He looked disembodied: she couldn't see his head at all, just his naked body. But oh, what a body, she thought. Her eyes roamed over his body appreciatively. Luke had been almost nonchalant about appearing in the buff. His easy, open manner combined with his obvious, rugged masculinity only served to enhance his nudity. She was all but drooling over him.

Luke also had made it clear to her, by the way his eyes feasted on her own nakedness that he preferred her without clothes. The intensity of his admiring gaze had her both blushing at times yet responding to him in an extremely feminine manner, shedding any and all inhibitions. Lorelai had to admit there was no way either of them could be shy making love with the room suffused in afternoon sunlight.

Lorelai continued gazing at him in amusement. With their new-found intimacy, she had gotten to know a whole new side of Luke and she had to admit she liked it. When it was just the two of them alone, his grumpiness receded. He still provided the requisite snappy comeback when he had to but he was much more open, at times almost playful. Their seemingly opposite personalities definitely complemented each other.

"Wow," she said as she crawled into bed. "That was incredible. I'm still weak in the knees," she curled up next to him. "I always look forward to the end of our little brainstorming sessions. You're like finding the prize in a box of cereal."

Luke emitted a sound half-satisfied grunt, half-chuckle. "Interesting reward system you have there. What the hell kind of breakfast cereal do you eat?"

"The dirty kind," Lorelai giggled as she cuddled closer, pressing soft kisses on his chest. "It certainly works for me." Her tongue laved his nipple as her hand drifted lower.

"Hmmm, me too," Luke sighed. He shifted so his head was now resting on his pillow and slipped his arms around Lorelai, burying his face in her hair. As her fingertip traced the fine line of hair that funneled from his stomach downward, he made an uncontrollable sound then cleared his throat hesitantly before saying, "Are you sure you have time for this?"

Lorelai pulled away from him slightly to look at his face. "I have as much time as we need," she told him, wondering at the question.

"Okay," he said accepting her explanation. "It's just that your were so busy this past weekend. I didn't see you at all and I know that things are escalating at the Inn," he said tentatively.

"I'm sorry about that," she apologized. "I've been following through on the decisions we've been making and its taking up a lot of time." At his brief nod, she raised up on one elbow. "Hey," she said softly laying her hand over his heart. "You are one of two people I would make the time to be with," she looked at him sincerely.

"The other being Rory?" he questioned.

Lorelai nodded laying her head back down on his chest. "I didn't see her at dinner on Friday. Every time I call her I either get her voicemail or she is in the middle of studying or writing papers."

"It will get better," Luke assured her, stroking her back. "You both just have a lot going on right now."

She hugged him, thankful for his support and that he understood the current craziness of her schedule.

"Speaking of stuff going on," she said leadingly. "Ah, I was wondering what you were doing next weekend."

"Why, what's up?"

"Well," for some reason she was nervous, "I have one more place I want to check out. It's a little further out than the last one and probably will have no bearing on our antique traffic, but I'd just like to scope it out." When he didn't reply right away, she rushed on afraid he might balk at being away from the diner like he did previously, "It'll be the same as the last time. You'll have your own room again and—"

"Cancel it," he said abruptly.

"It would just be overnight, the diner will be fine," she said hurriedly, trying to convince him. "

"No," he clarified. "Cancel the second room. I don't see any reason to get two rooms when we'll only be using one do you?" His blue eyes looked at her piercingly.

Lorelai let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding and smiled. To have things spelled out so clearly…. "No, I guess we don't. I like the way you think," she purred as she snuggled up against him, her hand resuming its previous occupation of exploring him.

Luke's hand ran caressingly down her outer thigh before making his ascent on her inner thigh. She let out a little gasp as his fingers claimed her.

"Aren't you just the naughty boy," she said breathlessly.

"Just finding the prize in that box of cereal," he returned, his own breathing getting a bit short. He maneuvered himself so they were facing each other. Unhurriedly they explored each other, stimulating each other, each delighting in the other's responses.

"You win," Luke said abruptly rolling on top of her. He couldn't take any more of her fondling. He needed to be inside her. She welcomed him, parting her thighs.

"I think we both won," Lorelai purred throatily as his tip nudged its way into her.

As they melted together, Lorelai let out a soft sob of pleasure as Luke set a slow, languid pace. They surged together slowly, meeting each others strokes with the gentlest of pressure, each time Luke delving more deeply into her quivering center.

"Oh god, yes," Lorelai arched against him as her senses erupted into a ball of flame. She raked her nails down his back, urging him on, gripping his ass as he pumped into her.

"Don't stop," she managed to gasp.

"I won't," he promised in a shaky voice. They writhed together, a concert of perfect harmony of giving and receiving joy and delight, soaring higher to a dizzying height.

Luke braced himself on his hands and thrust as deeply as he could. Lorelai let out a strangled moan and arched against him feeling his heat radiate throughout her body to her very fingertips. They burst through the other side, wave after wave of sheer rapture flowing from one to the other and then back again. Their pace never changed, the steady surging drew out their sensations to the fullest. Finally they dissolved into bliss and they sank into the mattress, spent.

Luke made the supreme effort and moved to kiss her. They were a tangle of sweaty limbs, still joined and he was limp inside her. Lorelai slowly sucked his tongue into her mouth, mimicking the actions of their lower bodies as they gradually relaxed.

Lorelai tightened her arms around him, pressing close. "That's some prize," she commented.

* * *

Lorelai primped in the mirror, checking her appearance, making sure her hair was in place and her clothes were neat and presentable. She nearly rebelled when Luke finally suggested they get up and get dressed but she knew he was right. There was a whole town full of people, and probably the busiest of bodies down in the diner at that very minute and the last thing she wanted was to let them in on their little secret. She wanted Luke all to herself for a while and not to have to face the randy speculation of Patty and Babette.

"Hmmm," Luke stepped up behind her and buried his face in her hair, savoring the scent. His hands, at her waist, pulled her back against him before journeying upward to cup her breasts.

"Uh-uh," her hands closed over his. If they started up again, god only knew when she'd leave and unfortunately she did have to leave.

"Okay," he acquiesced, his hands smoothing the material of her blouse. He was already looking forward to the weekend and having her all to himself for the entire night. He followed her over to the couch where she plucked a catalog from the shrunken collection of decorating paraphernalia, this one for the latest project, the doors.

"Last check," she said twirling in front of him. "Okay?"

"Very okay," his hands were drawn to her hips this time but she adroitly stepped away from his grasp.

"Oh, no you don't," she gently scolded him. "I really have to go."

"Fine," he gave up and led the way out of the apartment and down the steps.

Lorelai bit her lip at what she was about to do but bided her time to the last moment. "Luke?" she said, stopping him just before he moved the curtain aside. "I think I've changed my mind about the doors."

It took a few seconds for her words to dawn on him. Luke shot her a dumbfounded look then turned and charged into the diner. She was right behind him.

"All that time," he ranted, "spent comparing this company to that. All that time deciding whether you wanted cherry doors or oak, the detailing, hell even the stupid door knobs and you've changed your mind?"

The diner immediately fell silent as Luke's voice carried to every corner. Patty and Babette stared at Luke as he ranted his way behind the counter and cleaning up plates and cups as he went. Their eyes swiveled to Lorelai, who was standing there sheepishly, mute and seemingly cowed in the face of his frustration. This was diner theatre at its finest.

"I think I know what I'm gonna go with," Lorelai offered, "So we don't have to re-hash it again."

Luke glared at her, not really mad at her but just the teensiest bit irritated at the time they had wasted upstairs. "If you don't order those doors soon, you won't get them in time for the opening," he warned.

"I know, I know," she agreed with him. She flashed him an apologetic grin. He rolled his eyes and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Wow, sugah," Babette said nervously. "I don't know if I've eva seen him so mad at ya."

Lorelai shrugged her shoulders, knowing Luke wasn't angry with her. She had changed her mind on the doors but she'd explain it to him and why she chose to spring it on him just as they were entering the diner. Luke wasn't the only one who knew how to throw the hounds off their scent. She made her way to the door.

"Boy, he must be difficult to work with," Patty observed sympathetically. She has been hoping that the two of them working in close proximity would give Luke the opportunity to finally make a move with Lorelai but apparently that wasn't the case. "Luke isn't being too hard on you, is he honey?" Patty asked, concerned.

Lorelai paused at the door and she turned around to answer Patty. "No, he isn't" she assured her with a smile. She walked out of the diner and waited until the door was closed behind her before her smile turned into a smirk and added, "He's just hard enough." She headed off to the Inn, still smiling.

tbc


	9. Field Trip Part Deux

So much to say here. First I apologize for the delay. Hope there is still interest in the story.

XL I know I promised this a month ago. You can sue me.

Copop, Vakan, Boom, Lukey and Mags—thanks for making my big day at the beginning of the month memorable.

And Iwanna! I forgot Iwanna. I am an idiot!

Copop, as promised this one's for you. Sheesh I sound like Barry Manilow.

In lieu of a Valentine story, this may suffice. It is pretty long.

Sexual disclaimer: Please try this at home, or at a hotel.

As always, reviews if you are so inclined. Thank you.

* * *

Field Trip Part Deux

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Lorelai exclaimed as the maid led Rory into her parents' living room.

"Hi," Rory greeted everyone with an awkward wave. "Yes, I finally made it," Rory said to her mother.

"And it's about time," Lorelai shot back as she gave her daughter a once-over. Truthfully Lorelai wasn't happy with what she saw. Rory looked tired. Her eyes weren't the bright, shining blue she was used to seeing. As Rory sat down next to her, Lorelai swore she looked thinner. "Are you okay?" Lorelai asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, Mom," Rory tried to re-assure her. "Things have just been really busy and getting sick didn't help matters much. But I'm much better now. Just busy." She accepted a soft drink from her grandfather.

"Of course you are, Rory," Richard proclaimed, giving her a fond look. "It's all part of the college experience. Lorelai, if you had gone to a real college, you would know this," he directed at his daughter.

Lorelai bit back a sharp reply. She recognized her father's tone. He tended to be a bit condescending when he alluded to life she missed out on when she left with Rory. Lorelai wanted to tell him she'd had her college experience. She had sweated over classes, presentations, papers and finals, all the while holding down a full-time job and being a mother as well. But she held her tongue since she didn't want to fight with her parents and spoil her time with Rory. Lorelai was just so glad to see her that she would put up with anything they would dish out at her.

"I understand that, Dad," Lorelai replied patiently, managing to keep her tone neutral. "I just don't want Rory to overtax herself. I want her to have fun at college as well as learn."

"Well, I'm sure she is," Emily interjected, hoping to deflect any unpleasantness.

"Really, Mom, I'm fine," Rory repeated, hoping to head off an argument. "I handed in two papers today, so things should be a bit easier."

"Does that mean you're finally going to spend a weekend at home?" Lorelai asked, hopefully. Her thoughts suddenly raced ahead. If Rory came home for the weekend, she'd have to cancel her Saturday night with Luke. She hoped he'd understand. Now that Rory was at college, they didn't get to spend as much time together as Lorelai would have liked and she'd have to grab every opportunity she could.

"I can't," Rory said apologetically. "I still have sixty pages to read for a class on Monday morning and quiz to study for." She looked at her mother regretfully. "Sorry, Mom." She brightened a little. "But you still have that last trip with Sookie tomorrow don't you?"

"Um, yeah," Lorelai mumbled, not wanting to draw too much attention to her upcoming trip. She didn't like keeping the truth for Rory and now was not the time to bring up what was going on between her and Luke.

"You're going away?" Emily queried.

"Just for one night to check out at Inn about an hour away, upstate," Lorelai replied quickly.

"It must be difficult for Sookie to go away, even for the night and leave the baby," Emily pondered. "Or does she bring the baby with her?"

"No, Davey stays at home with Jackson," Lorelai said, speculating on what Sookie would do if she were actually going. "These are just quick overnight trips so she isn't gone too long," she explained. "We just see how they operate, what works and what doesn't, just to get some idea of what we're up against."

"That's a very good idea," Richard chimed in. "In business it's always prudent to know one's competition." Lorelai nodded in agreement as she sipped her drink.

"You're still going to be opening in May?" Emily asked.

"Yes, and hopefully we'll having everything done," Lorelai held up crossed fingers.

"My goodness, it sounds like you're both working round the clock," Emily pressed. "Sookie must have no time whatsoever what with all the preparations to open the Inn and taking care of her family. You should see about getting some help."

"We're managing just fine, Mom," Lorelai remarked assuredly. Rory shot her a querying look but remained silent and didn't mention Luke's participation. The last thing Lorelai wanted her parents to know was that Luke was helping her make major decisions about her business.

"Well, try not to work her too hard," Emily ordered.

"I won't Mom," Lorelai replied, ignoring the fact that Emily was showing more concern about Sookie being overworked than her even though she was doing the majority of the work. She wanted to change the subject before Emily pried too deeply. "So, what's for dinner?"

~#~

Lorelai parked the Jeep next to Luke's truck in Sniffy's parking lot and turned off the ignition. Luke was nowhere to be seen. She was wondering if she should go inside and find him when he emerged, gave her a little wave, then headed over to his truck to grab a suitcase then loaded it in the back of the Jeep.

"You're on time," he said as he got in.

Lorelai shrugged, half-shy, half-giddy. "Just thought I'd mix it up a bit to keep you on your toes," she said wondering if she should admit that she couldn't wait to be alone with him. She noticed he wasn't wearing the regular green army jacket but his black leather one. It dawned on her that he had an actual suitcase not the duffel bag he brought the last time. Upon further inspection, she noticed he was sans flannel and was wearing a nice dress shirt and pants. "You look nice," she eyed him up and down, trying not to appear too obvious.

"So do you," he leaned over to her side. "Hi," he gave her a soft kiss.

He drew back too quickly to her way of thinking so she grabbed a handful of his jacket and pulled him back for another kiss. He readily complied and they spent another breathless minute just savoring the luxury of kissing somewhere other than behind closed doors.

"Hi back atcha," Lorelai replied, giving him a flirtatious look. As Luke drew back, his own gaze on her was warm and happy. His fingers lightly brushed hers and they both smiled at each other.

"We should get going," Luke advised, suddenly impatient to get there. He settled back into his seat and buckled his seatbelt.

"Right," Lorelai agreed absently. It took her a moment to collect herself. "Oh, right." She mentally shook herself, started the Jeep and pulled out onto the road. They would have plenty of time for that later she thought, giddily.

"So did you finally get those doors ordered?" Luke asked.

"Not yet but I will on Monday," she promised.

"Lorelai," Luke began in an exasperated tone, "you don't have a lot of time."

"I know, I know," she cut across him. "I was just really busy yesterday and I had Friday night dinner to deal with as well. I wanted to blow it off but I couldn't."

"Rory was there?" Luke questioned.

"Yes." A troubled frown drifted across her features. "She looks worn out," Lorelai admitted. "I think she's trying to do too much."

"Did you talk to her about it?"

"I really couldn't make my point with my parents there, pooh-poohing every concern I brought up."

"Pooh-poohing?" Luke echoed uncertainly.

"Well that's the polite way of putting it when someone dumps on your worries," Lorelai told him sagely. "Though I'm sure if I told them they were shi—"

Luke chuckled. "I get it."

"Good. Enough about me." She flashed him a smile. "I'm glad you could get away from the diner." Regretfully she hadn't been there since Thursday. The mountainous pile of brochures and samples left at his place when they first started was now completely gone and unfortunately all of her time was spent at the DragonFly. Getting the Inn ready was taking up her entire day, every day now. She knew she would have to find the time to spend with him, but it was important to her that she did.

"I should be thanking you," Luke replied bringing her back to the conversation at hand. "When I left, Kirk was trying to convince me to put up flyers for his latest business venture."

"Dare I ask?" Lorelai said, amused. She knew Luke would never allow Kirk to post flyers.

"Pet hairdressers," Luke said shortly.

"Don't you mean groomers?"

"No, I mean hairdressers, as in using curlers on long-haired dogs, giving poodles Mohawks."

Lorelai burst out laughing. "The mind reels."

"More like runs screaming out of town," Luke shot back darkly. "Then Taylor came in preening about his latest theme for the town festival next week."

"Oooh what is it?" Lorelai hadn't had a chance to attend a town meeting in weeks.

"April showers," Luke rolled his eyes.

"As in brings May flowers?" Lorelai inquired jokingly.

"Exactly," Luke replied. "I'm amazed that someone hasn't cordoned off the town long ago. Who sets up an event dedicated to rain?"

Lorelai had to nod in agreement but nevertheless, she knew she would somehow have to attend. Their town might be quirky and Taylor's all-consuming determination not to let a single month go by without having some sort of town festival might be strange, but it made life in Stars Hollow unique if nothing else. They both fell silent, Luke staring out at the scenery, Lorelai concentrating on the road. Finally they pulled up to a picturesque Inn.

Once they got out of the car, Lorelai paused, eyeing the facade critically. She was trepidatious. It was much larger than the DragonFly but it had some of that ambiance that she was striving to achieve. Lorelai got the feeling that this place could give them a serious run for their money and would not be a dud like the last one was.

Luke noticed her hesitation and realizing the cause of it, assessed the exterior of the Inn himself. "This place looks nice," he commented, "but I know the DragonFly has something more going for it."

"What's that?" she asked curiously.

"You," he stated simply, winking at her. He unloaded their suitcases. "C'mon, let's check it out."

Lorelai flashed him a grateful smile as they walked into the entryway. A bellboy came up eventually and relieved Luke of their luggage. They proceeded to the check-in area.

"See?" Luke leaned closer and whispered in her ear. "We almost made it through the lobby before they got our luggage. Points off already."

Lorelai laughed out loud at his transparent strategy of putting her at ease. As soon as she reached the desk though, Luke suddenly disappeared. Lorelai waited patiently while another couple was checked in ahead of her before checking them in. She had just finished up and was listening to the polite spiel the concierge was delivering when Luke re-materialized at her side, startling her.

"Okay, Harry Houdini," she said breathlessly, handing him the key, "stop that or I'll hang a bell around your neck." He just chuckled in reply, his hand coming to rest in the small of her back. It felt so natural, so right, that she leaned against him as they followed their luggage to their room.

Once they were inside, Luke tipped the man and he left. Lorelai scanned the room, her eyes taking in the rich appointments, the comfortable yet elegant décor and the large antique bed. So far she couldn't really find any fault with anything and a lot of what she was going for with the DragonFly was captured in this room.

"Wow, the room is huge," Luke stated, wandering around. "Are all there rooms like this?"

"Well," Lorelai admitted reluctantly, "when I cancelled the second room, I kind of upgraded us to one of their better rooms."

Luke paused. "Did you book us in the honeymoon suite?" he asked seriously.

"No!" Lorelai burst out quickly, not wanting to freak him out. She relaxed a little then shrugged and confessed. "It was already taken."

Luke gave a little half-laugh and continued his inspection, peeking into the bathroom. "Jeez, that tub is as big as a swimming pool," he commented.

Lorelai joined him in the doorway and surveyed the tub, noticing the jets. "We'll have to check that out later," she promised.

Their eyes locked for a moment then Luke moved to their suitcases, lifting them both onto the bed. He opened his own and began unpacking. Lorelai did the same.

As soon as their cases were stowed away in the closet, Lorelai briefly glanced in the mirror to check her makeup. "Should we go out on a reconnaissance mission?" she asked.

Luke walked to the door and slipped the Do Not Disturb placard from the knob, opened the door and placed it on the outside knob before shutting and locking the door. "Already done," he replied as he approached her.

"Oh really?" Lorelai asked coyly, knowing what he had in mind. As he stepped close, she laid her hands flat on his chest.

"Took care of that while you were checking in," Luke said matter-of-factly. His hand went to her waist and he drew her nearer. He brushed her hair back over her shoulder before leaning over to nibble on a vulnerable part of her neck.

"And just what did you find out?" she queried breathlessly. She felt Luke's lips curve into a smile.

"Well," he began toying with her blouse buttons. "They have a nice quiet library filled with books, a dining room that has a ton of fresh flowers on the tables and the rest we'll see when we have dinner later." He slowly slipped her now-open blouse off her shoulders. His nimble fingers unhooked her bra and that was cast aside too.

"Hmm," Lorelai sighed, her own hands splayed across his broad chest, rubbing up against him, feeling his quickening heartbeat. She began to work on opening his shirt in earnest. "That's all you found out?" she teased. "You were gone for a while."

Luke reached around to his back pocket and removed a folded up brochure, held it up for her to see, before tossing it behind him. "The rest of it's in here." His hand drifted down to her stomach and toyed with the waistband of her slacks while the other supported her back.

"What does it say?" she pressed. She had dispensed with his shirt and quickly yanked off his t-shirt. She pressed up against him, his chest hair tickling her skin; her hands were exploring his back.

"What, you want me to fill you in now?" he asked incredulously, pulling away slightly.

"Dirty!" She arched an eyebrow at him almost daring him to.

Luke shot her leer before his mouth returned to her neck. He could play the game as well as she could. His lips slowly traveled downward over her chest to the valley between her breasts. Lorelai felt the fabric around her hips loosening and her zipper was drawn down. Both of his hands eased her slacks and panties off. He felt her shift from one leg to the other to take them off completely.

"We could go to the poetry reading at eight," he murmured as his mouth moved over to her nipple and suckled it.

"Keep going," she arched her back, offering herself to him. Not sure if she meant what he was doing or the list of events, Luke first swirled his tongue around hardened nub once, twice then lovingly laved his rough tongue over it.

He drew back slightly, offering another suggestion, "They have an extensive garden out back. We could take a walk after dinner," his mouth dove for the other nipple as he felt her fingers easing down his zipper. His mouth tugged hard on her as her hand slipped into his boxers.

"Maybe," Lorelai sighed breathlessly, barely managing to keep up the pretense about wanting to know about the Inn. She was working his pants and boxers over his hips, freeing his pulsating erection. His lips returned to her, parting them; her tongue beckoned his to taste the sweetness of her mouth. She backed up towards the bed, drawing him with her as he stepped out of the rest of his clothing. She reached behind her to blindly throw back the covers. Placing her fingertips on his chest she applied enough pressure to make him back away. When he did so, Lorelai maneuvered herself onto the bed, positioning herself in the middle, sliding one hand around the back of her head.

Luke gazed, drinking in the sight of her. She was so beautiful. Her breasts were rising and falling quickly with each shallow breath she drew. Her legs were slightly parted, one leg bent. She was completely open to him. His eyes traveled up to her flushed face, her heavy-lidded eyes sparkled wickedly at him. "What about in-room entertainment?" she inquired huskily.

Luke grinned at her wolfishly, his eyes raking in her naked form again. "This IS the in-room entertainment," he informed her.

Lorelai's own gaze wandered over him, admiring his broad chest, slim hips and his obvious readiness flaunted before her very eyes. She slipped her hand around his neck, drawing him down beside her. "Ooooh four-star entertainment," she purred as he bent to kiss her. He settled himself beside her on the bed.

Lorelai was aware of his hands slowly caressing her hips before one slid over her belly. He pressed closer as his hand leisurely moved lower still, nudging its way between her legs. She parted them further and that was all the encouragement Luke needed. One finger dipped inside her, testing her wetness, seeing if she was ready for him. Her hips moved sinuous against his hand, as she let out an involuntary moan. Lorelai returned the favor, wrapping her hand around his shaft, feeling him throb against her palm, reveling in his sudden intake of breath as she fondled him, stroking him from base to tip. They both continued their titillating exploration for a few minutes, each closely watching the other, savoring their responses.

"Lorelai," Luke groaned finally, his voice taking on a desperate quality. He felt like he was about to explode. "I need…" he closed his eyes, trying to control himself, trying to draw out the interlude.

"Luke," Lorelai whispered his name softly, understanding perfectly. She gently led him to where she too needed him.

Luke braced his arms on either side of her, feeling her silken thighs twine about his hips. She guided him to her opening, holding him at the brink, letting her wetness sear him.

"Take me," she breathed, in a pleading voice.

Luke instantly plunged inside her, an inarticulate sound torn from his lips. Lorelai let out a little squeak of pleasure as she tightened around his burgeoning staff. He sank into her fully and held still for a moment, treasuring that first intimate moment as they became one.

All too soon, the urge was there and they gave into it. Luke plunged into her slowly at first, their bodies attuned to each other in a perfect blend of ebb and flow. He quickened his pace as Lorelai ground up against him, the driving force of his body sending her spiraling upward. Luke shifted himself slightly, before thrusting at a different angle with even more vigor.

She streaked her nails down his back before her hands gripped his hips. "Luke!" she cried out as she was catapulted into a vortex of pure pleasure. Her body shook with the force of her reaction, shuddering in sheer delight. She was sliding down from a great height when the first explosion of his release swelled within her, his warmth spreading further throughout her body with each surge. Luke was unable to speak, burying his face in her hair, allowing his actions to show her how completely she owned him, how special she was to him. The marvelous sensations played out as their frantic actions slowed, until Luke was once again thrusting gently, tapering them off. Finally, still joined, they both stilled, holding each other tightly, content.

It was several minutes before either of them moved. Eventually Luke withdrew and stretched out next to Lorelai.

"That was amazing," she said softly, snuggling her head on his chest.

"That was only the beginning," Luke promised, his heart finally dropping back to a normal rate. He sighed, momentarily spent. "I plan to make the most of this trip."

"Oooh," Lorelai giggled, dropping a kiss on his chest. "I think we're gonna miss dinner," she speculated.

"Nah," Luke contradicted her, rubbing his cheek against her hair, breathing in her scent. "We need our strength. Besides, I signed us up for the late dinner seating. Or how about room service?" She looked up at him, delighted. "Wanna hear what else I found out about this place?" he asked, with a naughty twinkle in his eye.

Lorelai nodded. "I love it when you talk dirty to me."

~#~

Lorelai did one last twirl in front of the mirror, making sure everything was in place before joining Luke at the door. They had decided to go down for dinner after all. As they proceeded down the hall, his arm slipped around her waist and he pulled her closer. She smiled up at him, her own arm sliding around him.

When they got to the lobby, instead of steering her towards the dining room, Luke led her in the opposite direction. Lorelai carefully appraised the quaint sun porch, dimly lit and oozing romance before they passed on to the small library and ante-rooms with comfortable groupings of furniture. They continued their circuit, looking at the rear veranda and the gardens beyond before finally returning to the dining room.

"This place is definitely something," Lorelai commented, feeling slightly uneasy. The maitre d showed them to their table.

"True," Luke agreed, as he held out her chair for her, "but this place is all romantic getaway, nothing more. Everything is geared towards the mushy stuff."

"Mushy stuff?" Lorelai repeated, somewhat amused. "Earlier on in the room, you were very much into the mushy stuff. I want my Inn to have mushy stuff."

"It will," Luke assured her. "But think about it: what you are planning will bring in a broader range of customers. There's enough distance between this place and yours that you'll have your romantic getaway weekends. You also have and, god I can't believe I'm saying this, the historical aspect of Stars Hollow which will be a draw. And then there's the antique traffic," he rolled his eyes, "though why anyone would want to buy some old rickety chair that's ready to fall apart just because it's over a hundred years old is beyond me."

Lorelai chuckled as his attempt to re-assure her turned into a mini-rant about the pros and cons of antiques. "Okay, you've convinced me," she said, realizing that he truly had done just that. "Let's eat, I'm starving."

They dined on a well-prepared dinner and Lorelai had to admit the chef, while not better than Sookie, was equally good. Luke ordered an expensive bottle of wine that complimented the food and the presentation was perfect. Lorelai was warmed by the wine and the way Luke smiled at her and the look in his eyes. They took their time over dinner, focused on each other; the rest of the room faded away as the atmosphere around them becoming increasingly charged.

By the time they were finished, Lorelai's blood was racing and her skin was tingling, particularly where Luke's hand rested on her thigh.

"Are you ready to go back to our room?" he asked in a husky voice. As much as he wanted to sit back and drink in her beauty and just talk, he wanted to be alone with her.

"More than ready," she whispered back. "That hot tub is calling our name."

Luke grinned and winked at her as the waiter, with an impeccable sense of timing, sidled up with the bill. Luke signed it to their room without a word. He rose, eased Lorelai's chair back and helped her to rise.

The walk back to the room seemed both leisurely and rushed. Once the door was closed behind them, Lorelai melted against him and they exchanged a tender kiss.

"I'll get the tub ready," Luke murmured as he drew back.

"I'll be there in a few minutes," Lorelai replied, watching him go.

It was more like ten minutes before Lorelai headed towards the bathroom. She had turned the bed down again invitingly and dimmed the lights before changing into a silky robe, checking her hair and applying a little bit of lip gloss.

When she stepped into the room, she noticed that Luke had dimmed the lights there as well. She saw he was already in the tub, relaxed, his head leaned back and his arms stretched out along the rim. The water frothed and bubbled enticingly.

"Good?" she asked as she noticed the lazy smile on this face.

"Yeah," he replied. "I had my doubts, but hell with these jets, I might not even need you in here with me," he joked.

"Hmph," Lorelai huffed, playing along. "If that's the way you feel, maybe I'll just leave you in the tub and take a shower."

Knowing she had his full attention, she slowly and deliberately untied the belt of her robe, parting it slowly, giving him a peek of skin here and there. She locked eyes with him as her fingers lightly brushed back the material. She shrugged the robe off her shoulders, letting it naturally fall away from her in a wave until it pooled at her feet. Lorelai stood before him silently, letting him look his fill.

"Am I taking a shower?" she inquired coyly.

"I take it back," Luke said hoarsely. He reached a hand out to her in invitation. "C'mere."

Lorelai smiled at him and grasping his hand to steady herself, stepped into the tub. Instead of sitting next to him, she straddled his lap and made herself comfortable.

"This just keeps getting better and better," Luke observed, liking the fact that her entire body was well within reach.

"Hmmm, this is nice," Lorelai agreed, savoring the moving water. She shifted slightly and could already feel Luke's erection insistently prodding her belly. "Boy, the tub jets do this to you?" she asked, her hand dipping below the water to rub him against her belly.

"All you," he confessed. He pulled her close rubbing his chest against her breasts, enjoying the slippery feel of her wet skin.

"Good answer," she told him as she looped her arms around his neck. She arched into him instinctively as his hand slid down between her legs.

Luke worked the palm of his hand against her lower lips until they were parted and his palm was pressed against her entrance. Lorelai's mouth dropped open in astonished pleasure as Luke's palm ground up against her, somehow sealing it to her lower body, removing all the air and water, creating a mini-vacuum between them. He cupped his hand slightly and her opening throbbed and was drawn forward by his hand. Luke watched Lorelai's face carefully, cupping and relaxing his hand, incredibly turned on by the way she was responding.

Lorelai was at his mercy and at that moment she wouldn't have had it any other way. The suction was manipulating her internal muscles making her flex and quiver like she would be if he were hot and hard inside her. He was setting her body on fire and she greedily rode his palm overwhelmed by the sensations. She was close to going over the edge when Luke suddenly pulled his hand away.

"Hey!" she protested.

Her protest immediately died as he drove into her. "God," she sobbed as her internal muscles trembled and flexed around the real thing, her senses erupting into a ball of flame. He pumped into her quickly, aware she was squeezing him hard, milking him for all he was worth as she picked up her rhythm, vigorously plunging up and down. They teetered on the edge before they were swept away on rippling waves of pleasure, surrendering themselves to it.

"Lorelai," Luke managed to whisper after a time, drained by the sheer force of their release. They clung to one another, unable to move, unable to separate, just giving and taking comfort as only they could for each other. Luke wasn't aware of how much time had passed but as he stroked Lorelai's back, he realized they had been in the tub too long.

"We're starting to prune," he said softly in her ear.

Lorelai leaned back a little. "I know," she agreed. "I just…I needed," she was having a hard time putting her feelings into serious words so she fell back on humor. "You do know how to overwhelm a lady, Rhett," she joked.

It was the perfect tone. Luke smirked at her and gave her an "aw shucks ma'am" shrug. "C'mon," he said, regretfully. "Let's get out of this tub."

Luke extricated himself and got out of the tub. He slung a large bath towel over his shoulder before assisting Lorelai out as well. He wrapped her in the towel, his large hands rubbing the soft terry cloth over her skin, blotting up the moisture. Lorelai managed to claim part of the towel and proceeded to do the same to Luke.

As he got to the more sensitive, softer parts of her body, Luke's hands slowed. Lorelai was surprised to feel the flush of desire returning. The towel slipped out of his grip yet he still gently rubbed, caressed and fondled her re-awakening body.

"God, you're insatiable tonight," she said ending with a little moan.

"We haven't had the chance to have the whole night to ourselves and I intend to make the most of it," Luke vowed. He grasped her hand and raising it to his lips, tenderly kissed her knuckles. He led her back into the main room and over to the bed, guiding her into it.

"I don't know how much more I can take, but I'm willing to go on," she confessed honestly. Somehow, the way Luke was looking at her, the way he was making her feel, she knew they weren't done yet.

Lorelai lay down in the center of the bed and Luke slipped in beside her. His hand lightly brushed her belly as he positioned himself between her thighs. "Lorelai, whenever you want me to stop, say the word," he said not wanting to press her if she couldn't handle it.

"Don't stop," she said, quivering in anticipation.

"I want to taste you," he said simply.

Lorelai's eyes fluttered closed, the timber of his voice was making her breath come out in short gasps. She nodded slowly, willing succumbing to whatever he wanted. She felt his hot breath wash over her before his lips pressed tiny kisses on her belly. His fingers were already working their way between her lower lips and she could feel how wet she was.

His fingers tenderly opened her folds and he lowered his head, touching his tongue lightly to her clit. Lorelai jerked in response, a soft sob of pleasure coming from her lips and that was all the encouragement Luke needed. He dove for her again, his tongue dancing around her teasingly, batting her clit with the tip of his tongue. As she ground against him, he eased her legs over his shoulders and really went to work. His mouth traveled south a few inches and then he was tasting her, eagerly lapping her honeyed sweetness.

"Oh Luke," Lorelai crooned, her head moving wantonly from side to side on the pillow. She wasn't sure how much more she could bear but stopping him was out of the question. Her one hand slide down her belly to cup the back of his head, holding him there; her other brushed her rigid nipples that were aching for attention. Her hips instinctively jerked towards him striving to relish every nuance of pleasure, even the smallest brush of his stubbled cheeks.

Luke was keenly aware of her quickened breathing. Her writhing had grown more frantic and he knew she was close. He loved doing this to her. He brought his hand into play, his thumb zeroing in on her clit as he rubbed it hard in small circles.

Lorelai rose up from the bed, an intelligible cry bursting forth from her lips. She bucked against him as he relentlessly proceeded on, her upper body thrashing about as he held her lower body still, bringing her to complete ecstasy. He slid his other hand around to her lower back to support her, allowing her to experience her orgasm to the fullest. Finally she flopped back onto the bed with a soft moan.

Luke drew back as Lorelai's rapturous expression burned its way into his brain. The fact that he had brought her to such a wondrous state made him feel proud and extremely glad their relationship had developed to the stage they were at now. For either of them to have missed this would have been a cruel life joke. It was bad enough that it took them this long to be with one another.

As Luke re-positioned himself next to Lorelai, she turned and sprawled herself over him, craving to be as physically close to him as she could. His arms immediately went around her.

"You sir, are a man of many wonderful talents," she said finally.

"All god given," he replied with a deep rumbling laugh.

"Can I…" she began tentatively, her fingers brushing down his stomach, "do the same for you?" Her hand curled around his shaft.

Luke looked down at her, surprised. "Aren't you tired? It's been a pretty energetic day for both of us."

Lorelai looked at him slyly. "Is that your way of telling me you can't get it up?"

"I can only do so much in so little time," he said with a grin. "But, hey, feel free to try."

The sudden glint in Lorelai's eyes told him she was up for the challenge so he released her, waiting to see what she'd do.

Lorelai gave him a saucy wink before planting a loud, wet, smooch-y kiss in the middle of his chest. The kiss was just so Lorelai. Luke grinned at her broadly. She held his gaze as she lowered her head again, this time trailing her tongue down his stomach. Her hand strayed lower, cupping him then sliding her fingers down to rub one particular spot. Luke stopped smiling, his eyes going wide. Instantly he was rock hard.

"Lor-AH-lai!" he managed to grit out as her mouth descended on him. He shut his eyes tightly trying to control the rampant desire she just stirred up inside him.

Lorelai hummed as she drew him in, pulling back slowly before she bathed him with her tongue. Luke was squirming now, trying to hold back but she wanted him to let go. She scraped her teeth up along the heavy vein running along the underside of his shaft then enveloped him with her mouth once again.

The rhythmic tugging of her mouth coupled with the persistence of her tongue was taking its toll on him. His hands were twisted and clenched in the sheets his hips were uncontrollably thrusting in time with the scalding heat of her mouth. When he opened his eyes and saw her check hollowing and she sucked him deeper, he was done for.

"Jeez! Ah… guh," Luke was unable to say anything more only lay there and let her tend to him oh-so-deliciously. She kept at him and he capitulated, groaning at each tug of her mouth, continuing on until he was completely drained. Lorelai let him slide from her mouth, pressing a soft kiss on him before working her way back up his body.

"Relax, I'll be back," she told him.

"I can't move," he replied.

"Just stay there." She left the bed and headed into the bathroom.

She returned a few minutes later with a wash cloth and a glass of water. "Here," she handed him the water. "Re-hydrate."

He sipped the water as she ran the cloth over him. When she brushed over a still-sensitive area, he made a strangled sound. She just smiled at him, completed her task then took the cloth back to the bathroom. She turned off the bathroom lights and then crawled into bed beside him sighing as she draped herself around him comfortably.

"That was incredible, thank you," he said, his arms closing around her.

"Back atcha, babe. I think we're both pretty worn out now," she commented.

"Tired," he agreed brushing his lips on her forehead. "But you know what's the best thing?"

"What?" she asked, intrigued.

"We get to spend the whole night together," he pointed out.

Lorelai smiled at him, thinking about all their afternoon trysts when they had to leave. They'd never had the chance to relax and just be together, sharing the aftermath of passion.

"You're right, that is the best thing," she agreed.

~#~

Lorelai was dreaming, she knew she had to be. She knew she was in a field of high grass blowing gently in a balmy wind. Her eyes were closed. She stretched lazily, realizing she was lying naked on a blanket, the mellow afternoon sunshine warming her face.

The sun was suddenly blotted out. She opened her eyes and stared into Luke's, noting they were dark with desire. She looped her arms around his neck, drawing his naked body down. She wasn't sure how she'd convinced him to shed his clothes in an open, albeit secluded, area but for the moment she didn't care. It was her dream; she'd make the most of it.

His fingers teased her erect nipples, lightly twisting them between his thumb and forefinger. Her eyes closed as she felt his lips on her neck.

"Hmmm, Luke, that feels good," she sighed.

Lorelai opened her and was momentarily disoriented. The sunlight was gone. It was dark. Suddenly she realized the sensations from her dream were real.

"Luke?"

"Lorelai?" he breathed into her ear.

She was spooned up against him and could feel him straining against her ass. His fingers were tenderly plucking at her nipples and his mouth was working its magic on her neck. She could feel her wetness; her body was already aching for him.

"Wow, what a way to wake up."

He drew back slightly. "What?"

She paid him no heed and turned toward him, her thigh coming to rest on his hip. Her hand dipped down to guide him to her. He paused for a second then he pressed his entry home, sliding into her.

"Yes," she purred, arching against him.

They fell into a sleepy cadence, half-awake, half-asleep, building up steadily to release then relaxed against each other, somehow managing to drift back into sleep very quickly.

Hours later, Lorelai stirred and turned over in bed. Her eyes fluttered open as she heard faint murmurings and noticed Luke standing by their door which was opened a few inches. He had pants and a t-shirt on, discussing something with someone on the other side. After a minute, the conversation ceased and Luke leaned further out the door, appearing to look up and down the corridor before pushing the door open wider and pulling a cart into the room. He closed the door and began pushing the cart towards the bed, stopping when he saw she was awake.

"Room service?" she breathed in awe. "Breakfast in bed?" She would've never guessed he would be the type to do this. She sat up, adjusting the sheet around her as he pushed the cart closer

"Well, we've already seen the dining room," was Luke's explanation. He picked up the tray and unfolded the legs so it could be positioned across her lap.

"I'm starved," she declared. "Last night…I can't even begin to describe it," she said a little shyly.

"I take it the earth moved?" Luke questioned, with a smirk as he got back in beside her.

She smacked him playfully. "Ha! More like watusi-ed. It did the hokey-pokey and it turned itself around," Lorelai quipped.

"Well that's what it's all about," Luke chimed in.

She chuckled in delight as he revealed a fluffy omelet, bacon, toast, fruit, oatmeal, juice and of course, coffee. They took their time eating their meal, Lorelai devouring the omelet and bacon, Luke eating the fruit and oatmeal. They shared the toast and each drank the beverage of their choice.

"Can I ask you something?" Luke looked a query at her.

"Sure."

"You were asleep last night? The last time?"

"I was, but boy, I really like the way you wake a girl up," she indicated the breakfast tray. "Both then and now." A thought occurred to her. "You thought I was awake?"

"Well," he began sheepishly, "I woke up and you were kind of…well grinding into me, saying my name, so I thought…" He was absurdly pleased at the fact that she had been asleep, apparently dreaming about him.

She shrugged. "Well, it worked for me." She drained the last of her coffee. "What's next?"

Luke glanced at the clock. "Unfortunately, late check-out is all we have time for," he said regretfully. He didn't really want to go back to Stars Hollow but he knew they were out of time.

Lorelai too, was regretful. This had been an idyllic time for them. She would have to figure out a way to repeat it once they got back to town.

"C'mon burger boy," she urged him as he set the tray aside. "We may as well get it over with. Time's awastin'."

~#~

As they approached the front desk to check-out, Luke laid his hand on Lorelai's arm, gently drawing her back. She looked at him questioningly.

"I'll take care of this," he told her.

"Oh, Luke, no," Lorelai protested. "This is my thing. I'm fully able to pay for it."

"I know you can pay for it but Lorelai, I'd like to," Luke insisted.

"I know you do, but I invited you and even though we got to spend time alone together, this was still part of my plan for assessing the DragonFly's competition. It's covered," she said beseechingly.

"But I feel like a heel letting you pay for everything," he pointed out. "The pricey room, the wine, room service."

"Please don't feel that way," Lorelai wheedled. "Once the DragonFly is up and running, we can go away again and then trust me, I won't stop you from paying," she bargained. His eyes dropped to the floor, almost dejected. "Please?" she implored him.

Luke was conflicted. He was flooded with a myriad of emotions clamoring for his attention. He felt uncomfortable letting her pay, slightly uneasy and irritated. He took a deep breath and tamped down his negative feelings. "Fine," he said reluctantly.

Lorelai stepped closer ducking her head slightly to catch Luke's eye. His head came up and he looked at her before giving her a forced smile and nodding. She moved to the front desk and he took their bags out to the Jeep.

When Lorelai emerged, Luke was standing there waiting for him. To her inquisitive eye, he still looked none too happy.

"We're all set," she told him. When he only nodded in reply, she pleaded with him. "Luke, please," she put a hand up to stroke his cheek. "This trip turned out even better than I planned. You'll get your chance next time."

Luke nodded again and they got into the Jeep. He absently listened to her chatter on about the Inn, still feeling uneasy. He couldn't put his finger on it. He knew launching the DragonFly meant everything to her and at the moment, he shouldn't make a big deal about the way he was feeling. He waged a silent discussion with himself, deciding it was best that he bided his time.

For now.

tbc


	10. Rory Interruptus

Hi there! I promised to post before I left for KC and here it is. I'm about to leave in about fifteen minutes. So all of you who are not going, well at least there is something new. I hope you like it. Iwannhorn is supposed to have first dibs reading this but whether or not she had the time is another story. I sent it to her late last night because I had another one of those catastrophic events where the computer ate the entire file. My hair grayed almost instantly when that happened but I eventually go it back.

I would really like to hear about this one. LOL I think I'm kinda glad I will be incommunicado for a few days. And I may re-edit the end when I get back. Have a great weekend all!

* * *

Rory Interruptus

"Michel," Lorelai instructed as she quickly walked through the partially completed foyer, "the furniture for the rooms should be arriving at two-thirty." She referred to a clipboard, she was carrying. "Check the inventory and have them start setting up in room eight then work their way back."

Michel trotted after her, irritated. "I don't understand why you leaving," he whined petulantly. "You have been here practically round the clock and all of a sudden you decide to leave."

"Michel," Lorelai paused to make her point. "You're a profit partner in the Inn. I have been doing everything up until now and I need you to step up and take charge for a while." She gave him an exasperated look. "I should be back around five. If you have any problems, leave me a message."

"Where are you going that you cannot even have your cell phone on?" he demanded.

"Michel," Lorelai had had enough. He had been complaining that he had nothing to do now that he'd left the salon and was showing up at the Inn. The moment she assigned him a task, he immediately began complaining. "That's none of your business." He opened his mouth to remonstrate further but Lorelai held up a finger to forestall him. "I don't want to hear another peep out of you," she warned him. "Be like Nike: Just Do It."

"Fine." He huffed theatrically before flouncing off.

Lorelai rolled her eyes but let him go. He could handle the furniture delivery. She'd taken him with her when she inspected the furniture and she knew, with his impossible standards, if there was even the smallest scratch he would pitch a fit.

She considered herself clever for including him when she did the final approval of the room furniture. She hadn't wanted to coerce Luke into doing it since it clearly wasn't an area of his expertise. She didn't want to waste his time. He'd already gone above and beyond her wildest dreams when it came to helping her with the DragonFly and she didn't want to put him out any more than she already had. However, this was one of Michel's specialties and he was good at it. And it also meant he could shoulder some of the burden, freeing her up for other tasks, or, more importantly, giving her some time for a much-needed break. With Luke.

She carefully planned out the block of time. She'd call him at the diner. The main lunch rush would be over and he would have some free time himself. She was sure she could convince him to come over for a few hours then both of them could head back to their respective jobs: her to the Inn, to check on the furniture delivery and placement and him to contend with the dinner rush.

She ducked into her office and closed the door. She was again congratulating herself on her fore-sighted thinking of having her office completed so she could retreat from the dust, noise and Michel to get some work done. Or give herself privacy to call and make a date, she smirked to herself

Since they had returned on Sunday, Lorelai had been thinking about Luke wanting to pay for their overnight trip. Here it was Tuesday and she was still mulling the episode over in her mind. Even though she had planned on footing the bill, she could understand his need to pay for what amounted to a romantic night for the two of them. Since they had embarked on both the bet, and to her way of thinking, a fledgling relationship, they hadn't been out on an actual date. She had been too busy with the DragonFly, trying to get everything done in time for the test run. She knew Luke was that old-fashioned type of guy, who took care of things which included paying when he was out with a woman. After all the years he'd been taking care of her and Rory, it had to gall him to allow her to pay for him.

Not for the first time, she reflected on where they were headed. She wondered if Luke saw them as a couple. If she'd read the signals correctly, she believed he did, but they'd never actually spoken about the future. It might not be such a bad idea to ask him, she thought. Maybe today she'd have the talk with him and feel him out. She giggled at herself as her mind screamed Dirty!

She took out her cell phone and dialed the familiar number, hoping he'd be the one to answer the phone.

"Luke's" the gruff voice sounded.

"Hi there, sailor," Lorelai cooed, "new in town?"

"Ah," he paused and Lorelai heard some rustling before a door closed. "Hi," he greeted her, all gruffness gone.

"Whatcha doin?" she asked innocently.

"Just finishing up with a few customers," he replied. He sat down on a crate to talk to her.

"Is Lane or Cesar there?" she queried.

"Lane just got here," Luke told her. "And Cesar's in the kitchen. Are you coming over for lunch?" He knew how busy she was but he couldn't help but hope. He was still feeling a little unsettled about last weekend. Despite the romance, at the end, it had still ultimately ended up being a business trip. The fact that the only time he got to see her and be with her was when she had some task for him wasn't helping squelch the nagging thoughts and uncertain feelings. He needed the assurance that she really saw this as a relationship, not what she could get out of him.

"No," she responded, "but I was wondering if you could meet me at my place in about a half hour?" After a beat she added, "And bring Bert?"

"Something needs fixing?" Luke asked, feeling both disappointed and eager at the same time. He knew he was practically jumping on the flimsiest excuse to go to her, but in reality, he wanted her to call him over just to see him, not for his skills as a handyman. Still, he missed being with her, hell, just seeing her, so he knew he would go fix whatever she needed. Afterwards, he decided, maybe it was time for them to discuss exactly what was going on between them.

"Yes," Lorelai answered with a smile, "something definitely needs fixing."

"Okay," he agreed. "See you in a half hour." He hung up.

Lorelai snapped the phone shut, holding it to her lips as she thought about what she had planned. After a minute she got a move on. She needed to prepare.

~#~

Lorelai scurried about her bedroom, picking up clothing from the floor and making sure the room was presentable. She was grateful she'd had thought to change the sheets that morning. She headed downstairs, double-checking that there were no dirty dishes lying about; her living room though cluttered, just looked lived in. She headed into the kitchen to check out the refrigerator, hoping she had something to serve him, just in case. She made a face at the bottled water but realized Luke would probably want either water or tea, if they made it as far as beverages.

Lorelai was heading back into the living room when she heard knocking. She gave herself one last glance in the mirror before heading to the door.

"Hi!" she said breathlessly as she opened the door. Luke stood there.

"Hi," Luke said as he came inside. He raised the toolbox up a little higher, drawing her attention to it. "What did you break?" He wanted to get the repair job out of the way a quickly as possible so they could relax and spend the rest of the time together and talk.

"Um," Lorelai stammered, momentarily caught off-guard. She realized he really believed she'd called him over to fix something. She wracked her brains and inspiration struck. "Upstairs," she said decidedly.

Lorelai led the way up to her bedroom, grinning broadly. So far everything was going as planned. She added a little bounce to her step hoping she was giving Luke a preview of coming attractions. She needn't have bothered. Luke, following a few paces behind, was grateful he was familiar with her house, his feet automatically climbing each stair. His eyes were glued to her soft curves.

"Right here," she indicated the window as they entered her bedroom. She went over to it and tugged on the window, demonstrating the problem. "It's stuck." She moved back as he came forward and it was her turn to admire his backside, encased in some very worn, but well-fitting jeans.

"This is the problem?" Luke questioned, looking from the window to her, a little confused.

"Yeah, it's a big problem," she affirmed, nodding her head.

Luke reached over and swiveled the latch that locked the window. He easily raised the window up and down several times, making sure that it opened smoothly before shutting it once again. "Problem solved," he stated. He rolled his eyes at her but a small smile was playing about his lips. Maybe she really did just want to see him.

"My hero," Lorelai cooed, in a Southern drawl, batting her eyelashes at him. As he moved away from the window, she suddenly thought he was going to leave the room. Lorelai quickly closed the bedroom door, leaning against it, blocking the exit. "Just where do you think you're going, Mister?" she demanded playfully.

Relieved and fully aware of her ruse, Luke approached her, his hands sliding to her hips. "Right here," he told her as his lips closed on hers.

"Just where I want you," she murmured against his mouth. Her hands slid up his arms, across his flannelled shoulders before twining around his neck. As she pulled his mouth down for another blistering kiss, she grabbed the bill of his hat and flipped it back off his head. They spent a long minute pressed up against one another, lips melded together, tongues tangling in a sensuous dance.

"Sounds like you have this all planned out," Luke remarked breathlessly as they parted.

"Hmm, yeah," Lorelai agreed as she splayed her finger on his shoulders, enjoying the feel of his shifting muscles. She slid her hands down his chest to the buttons, toying with each one as she undid them. When his shirt hung open, she parted the fabric and eased the shirt off, letting it fall to the floor next to his hat. She pulled him down for another kiss as her nimble fingers found the hem of his t-shirt and that was drawn off and cast to the side. As Luke hands moved to her clothing, she pulled back slightly. "I want to do it," she murmured.

Luke's brow knitted, wondering what she was up to. Lorelai stroked his cheek, her eyes beseeching him to allow her to do this so he acquiesced with a nod. Lorelai smiled with delight. She wanted to show him just how much he meant to her; how she treasured the time they spent together. She continued her delicious task of stripping him of the rest of his clothes. As she eased his zipper down slowly, her hand went exploring, fondling his shaft, feeling him harden. She reached lower and cupped his balls, rolling them gently in her palm. He let out a strangled groan, his breath hitching as she brushed up against the highly-sensitized area. Finally she finished her task, stripping him completely. Her breath caught when he stood before her completely naked and more than ready.

Lorelai took retreated to the bed, enticing him to follow. She swiped the blankets away and urged him to slide between the sheets. Luke settled himself comfortably, hands behind his head on the pillow, his eyes watchful, wondering what she would do next.

Lorelai backed up a few paces so he would have an unrestricted view of her. Carefully, teasingly, she began removing her own clothes, her desire slowly rising as his eyes followed her movements almost hungrily. Her blouse came off first; Luke admired the blue lacy bra which only veiled her delicate pink areolas. She drew her zipper down next, her hips shimmying from side-to-side as she eased her jeans off. Lorelai paused, standing before him in bra and panties, letting him look his fill.

After a long moment, she reached around and unhooked her bra, casually shrugging it off her shoulders. Luke eyes burned more brightly and he licked his lips as he gazed at her hardened nipples. She quickly slipped off her panties, their sense of anticipation suddenly mushrooming to the point that they were both breathing shallowly, impossibly turned on and focused solely on each other.

Lorelai sauntered towards the bed as the heat of Luke's gaze wandered over her. Where his eyes touched, she burned. She climbed onto the bed astride him and grabbing the edge of the blanket and flipped covers over them both as she lay fully on top of him. She chuckled as they were totally enveloped from head to toe then seductively rubbed her body up against him savoring the texture, the friction of skin on skin.

"God, Lorelai" Luke gritted out in a low guttural voice. She was killing him, her nipples teasing him, her silky thighs tightly gripping his hips. Their breathing sounded unnaturally loud in the man-made cocoon. Luke folded the covers down over her shoulders. His hands slipped underneath the blanket to grasp her hips, raising her up so he could position himself at her entrance, feeling her wet heat.

Lorelai's own hands slid between them and her fingers wrapped around his throbbing erection. Eyes locked, she pushed his tip against her opening, which throbbed in sync with his pulsating flesh. He guided her hips downward, his hot flesh slowly delving into her.

Once he was fully sheathed, she dissolved against him, her lips seeking his. A small whimper was torn from her as Luke leisurely kissed her, his tongue probing much like his shaft, their bodies unmoving but fused together. Lorelai pulled her lips away as they broke for air, her dark tresses forming a silken canopy around their faces, their eyes darkening with their building passion. Luke slowly lifted her hips up before drawing back down with maddening control before pausing for another eternity once again.

The bedroom door opened suddenly. "Mom, are you—oh my God!" Rory came to an abrupt halt. She was frozen in place for a split second as the tableau burned its way into her brain. She wheeled hastily, turning away from the sight of them.

"Gah!" Lorelai shrieked at the same moment, the erotic mood instantly blow to smithereens by the ill-timed arrival of her daughter. She moved to rise from the bed.

Luke, by some uncanny sense of self-preservation, tightened his arms around Lorelai, keeping her still and plastered to the front of him to avoid exposing them fully. He closed his eyes and gnashed his teeth as his body reacted to the sudden interruption and the devastating results. He'd barely glimpsed Rory before he pulled Lorelai down. He was grateful that the blanket was still pulled up around the middle of Lorelai's back. It hid their joined bodies. With the position Lorelai was in and her hair partially covering his face, Rory might not even realize that it was him.

Rory stood there, hyperventilating, unable to move, unable to wrap her mind around what was happening. Her mother was in bed. With a man. In their house. Her mother was in bed with a man in their house. No matter how she strung the words together the outcome was same: total shock. Gratefully, she'd turned away quickly so she hadn't seen who it was, just a blur. She vainly cast her eyes at the wall, the closet door, anything to divert her mind from the mind-boggling image and collect herself. She looked down at her feet and suddenly saw the flannel shirt and the blue hat and stunned, realized the identity of the man.

"Oh my god, Luke? It's Luke!?!" Rory exclaimed. Her feet finally got moving and she bolted from the room and ran down the stairs.

"Oh my god," Lorelai echoed as Luke released her. She climbed off him and sprang to her feet. "Oh my god!" she repeated. "I've got to talk to her." She noticed Luke was still half-curled up on the bed. She took in the ashen color of his face and instantly knew the cause of it. "Are you alright?"

"Right now, no," he ground out painfully. "Just go after her," he managed.

Lorelai was starting to root through the pile of discarded clothing, hoping to catch Rory before she fled from the house when she spied her robe and snatched it on, charging out of the room.

Rory had gotten as far as the living room and was casting about, wearing a path back and forth in front of the couch, mumbling to herself. The scene she walked in on was literally the last thing she expected to see when she came home.

She was having problems finding any kind of order in her jumbled mind. Today, she'd stopped at one of her professor's office after class, on the pretense of not understanding some of the notes she had taken due to a faulty pen. In reality, she hoped to get some much-needed praise about the paper she'd recently turned in. She needed her ego stroked after the rough time she'd been having with classes at Yale. To her dismay, there was no praise, only a firm recommendation from her professor, and not a good one. He'd advised her, in no uncertain terms to drop his class on the strength of her paper and class work. He'd even gone so far as to talk to her advisor about it, who'd readily agreed.

His comments about handling the work load reverberated in her head. She had repeatedly insisted to her mother that she wasn't overworked, that she was managing the crushing workload just fine, only to find she was not. She remembered her first days and Chilton and how she'd been able to adapt to the pressure and excel in her high school courses. She remembered how proudly her grandfather had declared his faith in her abilities to take as many classes as he had. Now she felt like a failure and suddenly Yale was the enemy, a scary place that overwhelmed her, defeated her and made her feel unsure of herself.

She'd left immediately after the awful meeting, abandoning the campus, running back to the familiar, safe haven she knew and could take comfort in. Stars Hollow never changed. Her mother, her biggest fan and untiring cheerleader would reassure her, bolster her up, and give her the security she needed. She would help her figure out what she would do. Her mother's support never wavered or changed and Rory had always known she could count on her to be there for her just as she had always been.

But it wasn't the same, here either. Everything here was changing too and now her home world was totally rocked by this latest development. Her mother and Luke? This was huge. She had no idea how long they had been together or how they had gotten together. Rory was shocked that she had to find out in this uncomfortable way, hurt and betrayed that her mother hadn't told her about it. Then she was struck by the reminder of the long-standing rules her mother has established when she was growing up. Her mother always kept her dating life separate, away from the house, which meant no men in the house. That rule too had apparently been tossed out the window, along with all the others.

"Rory?" Lorelai called out softly as she came down the stairs.

Rory stared at her mother, her mind in turmoil. "You and Luke?" she asked in an incredulous tone. "Here? In this house? How long?"

Lorelai knew that she had erred badly by not telling Rory about her and Luke sooner. She also knew she had broken a lot of the cardinal rules she herself had established with Rory a long time ago. At this point her only option was to come clean about everything. "A couple of weeks now. It just happened," she explained. "We were scoping out an Inn and…." she shrugged unwilling to go into the finer details. "It just happened."

"Luke's been going with you on the overnight trips?" Rory's tone demanded an answer.

Lorelai nodded. "Originally, I kind of strong-armed him into going along because Sookie couldn't. I made it part of the bet."

"You said the bet wasn't slutty!" Rory reminded her.

"It wasn't," Lorelai tried to re-assure her.

"So you lied about your trip at Grandma's last Friday." It was a statement not a question.

"What was I supposed to do?" Lorelai shot back in a reasonable tone. "I couldn't tell you in front of them."

"You should've told me!" Rory said angrily.

"When?" Lorelai's voice rose. Her nerves were beginning to fray from maintaining a calm demeanor. "You've been too busy and so was I getting the DragonFly ready. This wasn't something I couldn't tell you over the phone! If it hadn't been for Luke and all his help—"

"Is that why you're sleeping with him?" Rory cut across her words. "To get him to help with the DragonFly? What, are you going to cut him loose once the bet is over?" she asked flippantly.

Lorelai was stunned that Rory would think such a thing let alone say it. Her first impulse was to deny it. She knew how she felt but she'd never had the chance to talk to Luke to see where they were headed. She didn't think she had the authority to speak for him without knowing how he felt and just declare they were in a relationship. She opened her mouth to reply when another voice piped up.

"I'd like to hear the answer to that one myself," Luke said from the stairs.

Lorelai turned to stare at him unaware that he had come down. Luke stood his ground, his embarrassment at facing Rory fading after listening them argue. That nagging gut feeling from last weekend was back in full force and had taken deep root inside his stomach.

"Luke," Lorelai moved to the stairs, "we haven't really talked about us." She gestured between the two of them. She was torn in two directions. She needed to talk to both Rory and Luke and as much as she wanted to sit Luke down and have THE talk then and there, she had to speak to Rory first to explain and to calm her down. She had messed up big time by not telling her regardless of their busy schedules and now she was paying for that mistake.

"I guess I know why, you insisted on paying for last weekend," Luke replied quietly, walking the rest of the way down the stairs. He kicked himself for being such an idiot. He should've known this was too good to be true.

"Luke, it's not what you think," Lorelai began. "Let me square this with Rory and we'll talk, I promise." She reached out a hand to him but he backed away.

"I gotta get out of here," he stated, turning on his heel, he headed out the door.

"Luke, wait!" Lorelai cried running after him. She skittered to a halt on the threshold all too aware that she only had on a robe. If she chased him down the street dressed like that…lord, neither of them would ever live it down. The last thing she wanted to do was have the town speculating about them even more than they already did. Luke wouldn't like the intrusion into his private life and neither would she.

"Argh!" she vented as she shut the door and went back into the living room. Rory stood there, a mixture of betrayal and anger clearly written on her features. "Look, I messed up," Lorelai apologized. "But you're wrong to think I would use Luke in that way."

"I told you long ago you couldn't date him," Rory said accusingly. "You'll just break up with him. That's what you do. You've hurt him and now we'll never be able to go to Luke's again."

"Luke and I were fine until today when you came home," Lorelai insisted in her defense. "I was going to sit him down and talk to him about it." Lorelai's eyes narrowed, suddenly realizing it was the middle of the day and Rory was here in Stars Hollow and not at Yale. It dawned on her that Rory might be upset about something more than just her and Luke. "You're here at an odd time. What's wrong?"

Rory hunched her shoulders, not wanting to confess to her mother about having to drop a class. She couldn't talk to her about it now. "It's not important," she said, and for the moment it wasn't. She looked at her mother again and another wave of betrayal washed through her. "I gotta get out of here," Rory said as she pushed past Lorelai.

"Rory, wait," Lorelai tried to catch her arm but was too slow. "We need to talk what happened and whatever brought you here in the middle of a school day."

"I'll deal with it myself," Rory said shortly. She was already halfway out the door before Lorelai could catch her.

Lorelai again pulled up short at the threshold for the second time remembering she was only wearing a robe. Rory practically sprinted to her car and was already pulling out of the driveway. She slammed the door in frustration and rushed for the stairs. "Next time," she told herself, making a mental note, "get dressed!"

~#~

Lorelai knocked on the dorm room door. After a few moments the door was opened slightly and the very-young, very-timid Tana looked out at her.

"Hi there, Tana," Lorelai greeted her, trying to get right to the point. "I'm here to see Rory."

The girl opened the door wider and let Lorelai in. "I don't think she's here. I've been here a while and I haven't seen her."

"She's not here?" Lorelai repeated. She thought furiously for a moment. "Is Paris here?" Lorelai asked. She hoped that maybe Paris knew where Rory was.

Tana's manner grew a little skittish. "She's in her room. You can go ask her," she said as she scurried away.

Lorelai crossed the common area and knocked on the door. It was immediately flung open wide.

"Listen, Girl Scout. How many times do I have to…?" Paris began before she realized who she was talking to. "Oh, Lorelai. Hi." She shifted form side to side impatiently. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey Paris, I'm looking for Rory."

"I haven't seen her since the morning," Paris responded.

"She didn't call you?" Lorelai pressed.

"No," Paris replied. Seeing Lorelai's crestfallen expression, she added, "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Lorelai assured her. She hesitated. She was running out of time; clearly Rory didn't want to speak to her right now. She had just enough time to get back to the DragonFly, so she would have to give it up for now. "When she comes in, will you have her call me?"

"Sure, no problem," Paris nodded.

"Thanks."

Lorelai left the dorm without another word and wandered out amongst the throng of students. Rory could be anywhere on campus but she didn't have the time to hunt her down. She hated the idea of Rory being so upset with her and them not communicating. Reluctantly, she returned to the Jeep.

As she started back to Stars Hollow, she had another idea. Grabbing her cell phone, she steeled herself then quickly dialed a number. It rang a few times before anyone answered.

"Hello," Emily said.

"Hi, Mom," Lorelai said hesitantly. "How are you?"

"Lorelai?" Emily's voice sounded both surprised and confused. "I'm fine," she replied. When Lorelai didn't say anything else, she went on, "But at the moment I have to admit I'm a bit suspicious. You practically never call."

"I call," Lorelai said defensively.

"What's wrong?" Emily queried going into interrogation mode.

"Nothing," Lorelai repeated loudly. "I'm just call to see how… things are."

"And that's it?"

"That's it."

"Nothing's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"You're just calling to see how I am."

"And Dad too," Lorelai added.

"Alright," Emily said in a no-nonsense tone, "what's really going on?"

"Mom, nothing is going on," Lorelai gritted her teeth. "I just wanted to say I'll see you on Friday night."

"Well seeing as you have been attending these standing dinners for years, it's so nice of you to RSVP," Emily said snarkily.

"Bye, Mom," Lorelai said cutting Emily off before she really got going and disconnected the call.

That call had been a waste of time and only served to arouse her mother's inquisitive nature. If Rory had been there and told her grandparents what was going on, Emily would've had no qualms about letting her know how they felt about the situation. Lorelai knew calling them was a long-shot at best but she remembered how Rory had run to them over the Max fiasco. Now, older and with a car at her disposal, she could be almost anywhere.

Lorelai hit the speed dial for Rory's number, hoping beyond hope that she might pick up. She wasn't really surprised when her phone went directly to voicemail. The last thing she wanted to do was discuss the situation over the phone but at the beep, she began speaking anyway. "Rory, I need you to call me when you get this message. We have a lot to talk about," she hesitated. "I hate that you're upset and I know we can talk this through. Please, please call me."

Lorelai snapped the phone closed and focused on the road. She was running late. She had appointments to keep at the DragonFly. She knew that even though she was headed back to work, she would just brood for the rest of the day about Rory until they spoke again.

If they spoke again.

~#~

It was nearly eight-thirty by the time Lorelai trudged into town. Repeated calls to Rory's cell still went directly to voicemail. It was clear Rory was not calling her back. As much as she would love to go home and forget this day every happened, she knew she had one more stop to make. She needed to see Luke. She walked up to the diner and paused at the door. Luke was filling the condiment dispensers. He looked up and spied her through the glass. Lorelai took a deep breath and walked in. Lane emerged from the kitchen area, carrying a take-out bag. She grabbed her coat and walked to the door.

"Hi Lane," Lorelai greeted her distractedly, her eyes on Luke. "Just finishing up for the day?"

"Hey Lorelai. Yeah, it was a long one," Lane nodded. "I can't wait to go home, kick back and relax." She quickly moved past Lorelai. "Good night!"

Neither Luke nor Lorelai replied. They just stared at one another.

"You look like you could use some coffee," Luke commented in a neutral tone.

"Wow, I must really look bad if you're offering me coffee," Lorelai said, tiredly plopping down on a stool. Luke set a cup down and filled it with coffee.

"How did your talk go with Rory?" he asked tentatively.

"It didn't" she replied shortly. She took a long sip, staring down at her cup. "She took off right after you did. I haven't seen or spoken to her since."

Luke's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Is she okay?"

"No, she's not okay," Lorelai admitted. "I think she came home today to talk to me about something important. Finding us, ah…" Luke nodded indicating she didn't need to finish that sentence. "She's mad and upset." She finally looked up at him. "I screwed up big time by not telling her."

"Why didn't you tell her?" Luke wondered cautiously. He was almost afraid of her answer.

Lorelai held his gaze steadily. "Between her schedule and mine, I could never get her alone to talk about it." She noticed his trepidation and added, "I also wanted to talk to you about how you felt about the whole 'us' situation."

"So there is an us?" Luke hedged.

Lorelai heaved a relieved sigh "Of course there's an us, Luke, if you want there to be," she assured him, laying her hand on top of his.

"I want there to be," Luke confirmed. "After last weekend, I admit I was starting to think you were only seeing me so I'd keep up my end of that stupid bet," he explained. "I was hoping we'd get this straightened out today."

"If Rory hadn't shown up we would have, I swear." She immediately sensed a lift in his mood. She almost hated what she had to say next. "But before we can move on, I need to mend this rift with Rory."

"Why is she so mad?" Luke always had the impression Rory was on his side.

"I brought a man into the house and we weren't exactly playing Parcheesi. I had made up some house rules about no men staying in the house and definitely no sex."

"But when you were going to marry Max you must have…." Luke couldn't finish the sentence. Even after all this time it still hurt.

"Max stayed over at my house exactly two times and both times I had a teen-aged chaperone," Lorelai told him. "Max and I were never together there. You were my first, pal."

"You never… I was…." Luke was flabbergasted.

Lorelai nodded at him. "So now you understand why she a little more than upset. I threw out the rule book we've been living with for the past eighteen years."

"Wow," Luke said still trying to wrap his mind around it. No wonder Rory reacted the way she did, he thought.

"So, it's okay with you if we wait until I talk to Rory?" Lorelai queried. She knew she wouldn't feel right about their relationship until she had Rory's blessing.

"Yeah, it's okay," Luke agreed. He knew that any major life decision Lorelai made, Rory usually factored into the process. This would be a big one. The last thing he wanted was to come between the two of them. He cared about Rory too, very deeply. As much as he wasn't looking forward to it, he would bide his time. It wouldn't be easy but his only option was to be patient and wait it out.

"Good." Lorelai rose, the stresses of the day catching up with her. "I need to go home and get some sleep," she decided. "It's been a long day." She headed for the door and Luke followed her. As he opened the door for her, she laid a hand on his arm, knowing she couldn't kiss him. Stars Hollow had its spies everywhere. "Thanks for understanding," she said gratefully. She flushed a little before adding, "And I'm sorry about what happened when Rory walked in." She gestured at him. "That wasn't how I wanted the afternoon to turn out."

"Me neither."

"We'll continue it another time okay?"

He gave her a wolfish grin. "Count on it."

Lorelai chuckled as she left the diner.

tbc


	11. Baby, The Rain Must Fall

I'm not sure there is anyone out there still interested in this. (Bueller? Bueller?)

I could go into a lengthy discourse of real life but I'll trim it down to six words:

Writer's block. Family responsibilities. I'm sorry.

Reviews if you wanna. This was the tough chapter. The next will be easier (and MUCH sooner).

* * *

Baby, The Rain Must Fall

Rory sank deeply into the bean bag chair and shut her eyes tightly, blotting out the music posters and the lava lamp. She only vaguely registered the muffled sounds of voices from the next room. Her mind kept whirling in circles like the spinner from a board game. Each time it stopped, a portion of the drama that had suddenly become her life bubbled up, threatening to overwhelm her and then she was spinning again.

She thought about Yale and the sense of failure flooded through her again. To be flat-out told to drop a class… she didn't know how she'd get over that. Her mind shifted to her dorm room and the year-long Paris/Tana/Janet fracas loomed large and she knew she'd find no sanctuary staying there. Her thoughts drifted to her grandparents, particularly her grandfather. He'd been so proud of her going to Yale, so vocal in his support of her abilities to capably handle such a grueling schedule. She cringed, imagining the disappointment on their faces when they found out she couldn't hack it.

Which brought her to her mother. She was staggered by the betrayal of trust. They always told each other everything. Everything. They knew where each other's proverbial bodies were buried. But now her childhood home and her mother were suddenly like strangers to her, and that was the root of her current dilemma.

Rory had a firm, fixed image of her mother in her mind: Lorelai had always been there for her, propping her up and cheering her on. Rory always knew the choices Lorelai had made had always centered around her. Everything she'd done, from her unceasing campaign to get her into Chilton to making the ultimate sacrifice of going to her grandparents for the tuition reinforced her unswerving devotion of giving Rory all the opportunities to achieve her dreams no matter what the cost. Yes, Rory believed that she was the center of her mother's life and nothing would ever change that. She was wrong.

Rory was drawn out of her reflection by the opening of the door.

"Hey," Lane said as she walked into the room. "I brought you something to eat." She offered her the take-out box.

Rory hesitated. Lane had just gotten off work. She realized that there was only one place the food could've come from: Luke's. That was another sore spot. The fact that her mother was with Luke, the town Luke, the everyone-will-know-they-are-dating-or-not Luke, was even more mind-blowing. How could she not tell her about this? This was huge.

Lane noticed her reluctance and offered tentatively. "I saw Lorelai at the diner when I was leaving."

"You didn't tell her I was here did you?" Rory asked quickly. She knew she wasn't ready to see or talk to her mother yet.

"No, she just walked in as I was leaving," Lane replied, looking at Rory curiously. "What's going on?"

Rory bit her lip. In spite of what happened and even though she didn't know how she felt yet, she didn't want to reveal what happened, even to Lane. It had to stay a private matter. "I had to drop my class," she finally admitted.

"And Lorelai was mad?" Lane asked in surprise. She was sure that Lorelai would've understood and done whatever she could to support Rory. "What did she say about it?"

"We didn't talk about that," Rory disclosed carefully. "It was…something else," Rory hedged, clearly uncomfortable. She shook her head as if to rid herself of the memory.

"Okay," Lane said, waiting for further explanation. When she realized it wouldn't be forthcoming, she just nodded her head. She knew that whatever was going on, Rory would tell her when she was ready.

"Is it okay that I stay here at night for a while?" Rory requested in a pleading voice. "I really don't want to stay on campus at the moment."

"Sure," Lane said. "Feel free to stay here as long as you like. Consider it payback for when I crashed with you at Yale." After all the things Rory had done for her over the years, especially putting her up when she had no where to go, she was more than happy to be able to do anything she could for her friend now.

"I liked having you stay with me at Yale. I got used to having you there," Rory said with a faint smile. "It was a comfort to me. Thank you," she said sincerely, grateful for the time that she had Lane with her at college and now that she had a safe haven with her again. Her eyes dropped from Lane's. "It's just too much, with dropping the class and Paris and all," she explained.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk to Lorelai about this?" Lane questioned again.

"No," Rory said darkly, hunching down. "Apparently she's too busy." Lane wondered at her tone. Rory's eyes went back to her friend. "Do me a favor and don't tell anyone I'm staying here?" She didn't want to see or talk to anyone in Stars Hollow but Lane for the moment. She had even gone as far as parking her car where it wouldn't be seen.

Lane opened her mouth to object and Rory cut in. "Please? Just for a while," Rory bargained. Lane nodded once in agreement and Rory was relieved. She didn't want anyone to see her in case it got back to her mother about where she was staying. She'd already checked her voicemail and saw that Lorelai had called no less than twelve times. If Lorelai knew she was here, she would be over here in a flash, and she didn't want to pull Lane into the middle of this.

Lane nodded, once again wondering what could have happened to cause such a rift between Rory and her mother. They talked about everything, things Lane would never bring up to her own mother. She'd always envied Rory for the relationship she had with Lorelai.

Lane indicated the take-out box again, dropping the subject for now, deciding Rory needed a little more privacy to sort her thoughts. "Have something to eat. Get some sleep. I have to talk to Brian and Zach about some band stuff. I'll tell them to keep it down."

Rory paused once again but her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she had had very little to eat all day. Grateful that Lane had thought about her welfare and not wanting to tip her off that she had issues with Luke, she opened up the box. The aroma from the burger crushed any further resistance. "Thanks," she said as she grabbed the burger and took a huge bite.

Lane gave her an encouraging smile before leaving the room. Rory absentmindedly ate, her mind sinking back into the chaos of her life once again.

~#~

Lorelai trudged into the kitchen of the DragonFly. She was running late. She had tossed and turned well into the early hours of the morning. For all of her encouraging words to Luke the night before, she knew it had been nothing more than a smoke screen. She was extremely worried about Rory and it kept her up most of the night. Lorelai couldn't remember seeing her so upset. Her reaction was light years beyond that of the whole Max incident of a few years ago. She'd just managed to fall into an exhausted slumber when her alarm rang and she forced herself to get up and come to the Inn. She had checked her cell phone and there were no messages from Rory.

"Good morning," Sookie sang out cheerily as she spied her. "Come see what I've made for breakfast! Oh I love my new kitchen," she gushed.

"Ummph," Lorelai grunted at her. She couldn't deal with Sookie's enthusiasm this morning.

"Aww," Sookie chided her good-naturedly. "Did someone have a bad night?" She went over to the coffee machine and poured her a large mug of coffee. "This will fix you up!"

Lorelai mechanically sipped the coffee; her tired eyes following Sookie's movements as she flitted from the stove to the cutting board then grabbed a plate which she proceeded to fill. After artfully arranging the food she presented it to Lorelai with a flourish.

"I know you've probably already had your breakfast but can I tempt you with Eggs Benedict ala Sookie?" she asked. "I've been working out the kinks, using Tom and the crew as my guinea pigs. No complaints so far. The Avery cooks to perfection! Absolute perfection!"

Sookie observed Lorelai take the loaded plate almost grudgingly. "Oh you're probably full! You ate at Luke's this morning!"

Lorelai set the plate down and smiled willfully at Sookie. "No, I got off to a late start today. I haven't been to Luke's."

"Since you're done making most of the big decisions, he must be relieved that he's almost off the hook," Sookie pointed out. "But I gotta admit, I am loving the choices the two of you made for Inn. Everything looks so comfortable and homey, yet elegant. What else are you two working on?"

Lorelai inwardly grimaced. She and Luke had gotten through all of the catalogs and brochures and now she was just left waiting for the orders to be filled, working on decorating and putting together the Inn. Luke didn't need to be involved with that and, more importantly, he had his own business to run. She had taken up enough of his free time. Lorelai was torn; she wanted to see him but didn't want to have to tell him that the situation with Rory might be bigger deal than she first thought.

"I've tortured Luke enough over this," Lorelai finally replied. "I'll take care of the rest," Lorelai absently assured her.

Sookie frowned at Lorelai's response but before she could question her about it further, she turned and walked out of the kitchen, her plate untouched. Sookie could hear her calling Tom and his gruff reply. Something was bothering her and she was keeping it to herself. Sookie made a mental note to talk to Jackson to adjust their schedules so she'd have more time to spend at the Inn and help Lorelai out as much as she could. With the test run and the actual opening looming, she needed to be there as much as possible. Then maybe Lorelai wouldn't be so overworked and she might even tell her what was bothering her.

Sookie pulled out her cell phone and hit the speed dial. "Jackson? We need to talk."

~#~

Lorelai slowly plodded up her porch steps and paused at the front door, fumbling for her keys. It had been a long, grueling day and she was exhausted. Even though she'd been so swamped attending to details and overseeing the construction, thoughts of both Rory and Luke ran in an undercurrent in her mind the entire day.

The one unexpected bright spot in the day was Sookie. Now that she was at the Inn, it looked like it would take dynamite to get her out of there. She worked steadily during the day in the kitchen, doing everything from working with suppliers to the arrangement of equipment, the storeroom and dinnerware and ordering foodstuffs. She declared it her domain and she would handle it. Lorelai was grateful. It allowed her time to focus on other things. But beyond that, Sookie seemed to be taking on the role of mother-hen. It seemed like every time Lorelai turned around and could sit down for a moment, she was there with coffee, cake and cookies, keeping her fed. She'd even whipped up dinner saying she was testing out new recipes. Lorelai shook her head, relieved that Sookie was embracing into her upcoming role as part owner and head chef of the Inn.

Lorelai tossed her keys on the desk and noticed the answering machine blinking. Suddenly alert she stabbed at the button.

"Mom," She heard Rory's voice sounding both timid yet slightly reproachful at the same time. "Please, you gotta to stop calling me. I know you want to talk about what happened but you have to give me some space. I need time to think about…everything and I can't do that with you leaving messages every half an hour. You've got a lot going on with the Inn and …" the sentence hung for a moment before Rory changed direction. "I've got a lot on my plate here at Yale. Just…leave me alone for a while okay? I don't know for how long," Rory paused again. "I just don't know."

The machine clicked off and Lorelai sagged slightly. She set her purse down and hit the button again, listening even more carefully the second time. She'd hoped that once Rory had a chance to think, she would be okay with her being with Luke. She figured they would talk, she would beg Rory's forgiveness and everything would be okay. Now, from her message, it was clear that this impacted Rory even more deeply than she first thought. The fact that Rory didn't know when she would even want to talk about it about it spoke volumes.

Lorelai also couldn't get over the nagging suspicion that something else was going on with Rory. Over the past few months it seemed Rory never had time to sit down and have an in-depth conversation about Yale, or her classes or just talk about her life. Lorelai mentally chided herself for not taking the time to go see her and find out what was going on as well and as tell her in person about the developing romance with Luke.

And Luke. Lorelai was at a loss. She knew as soon as she saw him, he'd want to know about Rory. What could she tell him? Anything she said would have him worrying even more about Rory or worse, questioning her reasons for wanting to be with him. He'd already expressed some doubts about her motives. It was clear he wanted to continue their relationship. She wanted that too but if Rory didn't approve…her approval meant everything, Lorelai realized. She just didn't know how to re-assure him in the meantime. She fervently hoped Rory would come around and accept her and Luke as a couple but until she did, she knew they couldn't go forward or even date. Lorelai reluctantly decided couldn't even see him at the diner either. It would be too hard to keep up a positive attitude and the temptation of them being together, even in the diner, was just too great.

But she'd miss not seeing him. They had been friends first and there were so many other aspects of her life in which Luke was involved. Without him, there would be a huge void in her life. He fed her; he kept her in coffee; hell, just seeing and talking to him on a daily basis was a treat. She'd grown comfortable having him rant at her about her food choices and banter with her over the happenings in their lives as well as around the town. His solid strength appealed to her and made her feel like she could do anything, as long as he was by her side. No, she couldn't seek him out until things were settled.

She prayed it wouldn't take Rory too long to come around.

~#~

The diner had been empty for hours; most people were enjoying the town festival. Luke ignored the spectacle in the town square as he normally did and scrubbed down the counter, his face a mask of concentration. His mind, however, wasn't focused on his task. He'd a lot to think about over the past few days.

Foremost in his mind was the lack of any communication from Lorelai. He kept telling himself to be patient and give her the time and space she needed to get things settled with Rory but he was failing miserably. Luke missed her. He wanted to see her. She hadn't been in the diner; he hadn't even caught a glimpse of her in town at all and it was affecting him. Luke almost wished that she still needed him to help make decisions about the Inn, but he knew they were done with that stage. He kept telling himself to be reasonable that Lorelai's free time was non-existent. More than likely her days were being spent at the Inn getting everything finished on time before the test run.

Luke had received an invitation along with a lot of the townies. He wasn't sure how he felt about it. After all the time and effort he'd put in helping her, he'd expected a little more than a generic mailed invitation, the same one everyone in town else had received.

Which brought him to his other problem: Lorelai's absence was causing speculation amongst the town gossips, particularly Babette and Miss Patty. Try as he might, he couldn't help but notice the whispers and the sidelong looks. Both women had questioned him separately and together, hoping to glean some juicy tidbit about a possible rift between them but other than saying things were fine, he did not comment further. He was tired of the interrogation into his private life. It had been going on for the past three days but there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Then earlier this very evening, he'd overheard Gypsy, of all people, mention to Andrew that she'd run into Lorelai at Weston's that morning. He'd felt sucker punched. Apparently she wasn't as busy as he previously thought. She was deliberately avoiding him. There was no other way to spin it.

Luke's attention was caught by Lane as she came out of the kitchen with a to-go box. Since there hadn't been any customers for well over an hour, he'd let her go deciding to close early. As he watched her get ready to leave, it idly occurred to him that he'd seen her serving Zach and Brian for dinner, pretty much every day. Tonight was no exception. And she'd had dinner herself that very evening. Yet every night she took additional food home.

"If you don't need me for anything else…" Lane looked a query at him.

"No," he replied absently. As she made her way to the door, a thought struck him that made him call her back. "Wait."

"Yes?" Lane returned to the counter.

He turned around and picked up a to-go cup and poured the last of the coffee into it. "Here," he said, handing her the cup. "She'll probably like this too."

"Luke?" Lane's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open in shock. She hadn't breathed a word to anyone and swore Zach and Brian to secrecy too. She hadn't seen Lorelai in the diner all week. How did he know?

"You've taken a to-go box home every night for the past few nights," he said finally. "It wasn't too hard to figure out. Don't worry," he said when he saw her eyes flash with panic. "I'm not going to complicate things." He nodded towards the door, indicating she should leave.

Not knowing how to respond, Lane just gave him a somewhat relieved smile. "Night."

Lane left the diner and headed for home on auto-pilot, thoughtful, dodging the hoopla in the town square. Luke seemed to know what was going on, more so than she did but how? She wondered about his parting comment about not complicating things. She wasn't sure if she should mention it to Rory or not.

Every night Rory had returned faithfully to Stars Hollow. As far as Lane could tell, she was just stopping at her dorm room to pick up a change of clothes or books. She still hadn't told Lane what was going on or why she was avoiding her mother, she'd just change the subject. Lane, being a sympathetic friend, hadn't pressed the issue, but now she was wondering if she should. She glanced around at the people in the noisy square, having fun and got an idea. Rory had been cooped up all week. Maybe she could convince her to come out and have some fun and then they could really talk.

Lane bounded up the steps and entered her apartment. Both Zach and Brian were sitting in chairs, thumbing their guitars, going over chords and mumbling to themselves.

Zach's eyes lit up when he saw her. "Lane, cool! You're back early! Brian and I have been working on a new song. Ya gotta listen to this!"

"In a minute," Lane said absently, headed towards her bedroom where she knew Rory had already retreated.

Zach made an exasperated sound as he exchanged a look with Brian. Since Rory had come to stay, Lane spent all of her time in her bedroom with Rory. He understood being there for a friend but this was cutting into their band time and he wasn't sure what to do to bring Lane's focus back on that.

Lane tapped twice on the door before opening it, the coffee cup balanced on top of the to-go box. "Rory? I've got dinner." She closed the bedroom door behind her.

Rory uncurled herself from the bean bag chair and smiled at her friend. "Thanks." Her face grew animated as she noticed the coffee cup as well. "You brought me coffee too?" Rory hugged Lane. "Thank you!"

"No problem," Lane replied, happy to see something perk Rory up. "But it wasn't—" A loud cymbal crash sound reverberated through the closed door, immediately followed by an off-tempo drumbeat. Lane wheeled and charged out of the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded as she came to a stop next to Zach, seated at her drum kit. She glared at him.

"Um," Zach deflated a little in the face of Lane's anger. "We've been working on this song all week but you haven't had time for the band," he explained a bit petulantly even as he hastily set the drum sticks down. "We decided to fill in for you since you don't have time for us anymore."

"Without asking me?" Lane shifted her glare to Brian.

"It was all Zach's idea, not mine," he offered timidly as he faced Lane's death stare.

"Dude, so not cool," Zach said in reproof of Brian not backing him up.

"Well if you wanted to work on new songs, you should have told me!" Lane scolded them.

"Fine," Zach said. "We've got an idea for a new song and we need you on drums." He hesitated for a second before adding, "Please?"

Lane's anger faded, realizing she had been ignoring her roommates and the band. "All you had to do was ask," Lane told him as he got up and she took her seat. "Let's hear what you've got," she encouraged, all thoughts of her unusual conversation with Luke forgotten.

~#~

Lorelai cruised into the outskirts of Stars Hollow. It had been a long day at the Inn and an even longer evening so far. She'd just spent the most horrible two hours of her life enduring yet another Friday night dinner. She had gone with the foolish hope that Rory might show, but as soon as she entered her parents' house, she was informed they would once again be dining sans Rory. Even her mother was beginning to feel the effects of not having the Rory buffer. Conversation was strained at first, with Lorelai preoccupied about her lack of contact with her daughter then it was practically non-existent as dinner wore on and her parents lost patience with her vague comments. She had never been more grateful to finally escape as soon as they finished their meal.

On the ride home she tried calling Rory on her cell phone again, hoping she would pick up. When she first got Rory's message about needing time, she was willing to give her some space but by this point, she needed to talk to her daughter whether she was angry or not. Rory's cell rang then went to voicemail. In a fit of irritation, Lorelai turned off her cell phone and tossed on the seat.

As she turned onto the square, she observed the town celebrating it latest quirky festival. She spared a glance towards the diner but it was dark. She was about to drive past the revelry when she pulled over and parked the Jeep instead. Part of her wanted to go home but the thought of spending another night in an empty house worrying about Rory and missing Luke was too much for her to bear.

As Lorelai walked through the square, she noted the bizarre decorations. Dark, cottony storm clouds were hung from tree branches with lightning bolts or thin, silvery streamers signifying rain. Beneath them were pots of flowers. Umbrellas of all shapes and sizes were arranged in groups on the ground or positioned in trees. Lorelai shook her head and wondered, not for the first time, how Taylor came up with these crazy ideas.

As she neared the gazebo, Miss Patty was leading a line of six little girls up the steps. All of them were dressed in yellow slickers, matching rain hats and boots. Lorelai paused in the crowd that had gathered and the music started up. The strains of "Singin' in the Rain" filled the night air and the miniature Morton salt girls did a soft shoe in time to the music.

When the number was over, Lorelai politely applauded with the rest of the townies gathered then wandered off to make a circuit of the rest of the festival. As she neared the far end of the square she slowed as she saw Luke coming towards her.

"Hey," she tried to greet him nonchalantly. "I never thought I'd see you willing come to one of these."

Luke regarded her seriously. "I had to," he explained. "I figured it was my only chance to see you." He was elated, angry and grateful that he'd decided at the last minute to attend on the chance he might see her and find out what was going on.

"Luke…" Lorelai's voice trailed off.

"We need to talk," he stated.

Lorelai opened her mouth but didn't know what to say. She looked around at the assembled townsfolk laughing and having a good time before returning her gaze to Luke. He jerked his head away from the crowd, turned and walked to the edge of the square, far enough away from the crowd that they could talk without being overheard but close enough to appear to be taking part in the festivities. Lorelai followed after him.

On the other side of the square, Lane and Rory meandered through the displays and booths.

"I'm glad you finally got out of the apartment," Lane said. When she proposed coming to the festival, she'd expected Rory to refuse but Rory surprised her and agreed it might be fun. Lane noticed her looking around furtively, looking for Lorelai but neither of them spotted her.

"Yeah," Rory agreed, tired of her self-imposed confinement. All it served to do was make her fixate on her problems instead of dealing with them.

As they passed a few feet behind one of the park benches the ringed the town square, Miss Patty sat down next to Babette.

"Nice number, hon," Babette complimented her friend. They sat back and scanned the square.

"Thank you," Patty accepted the praise graciously. "That was our last number of the night. Thank goodness. I can't believe Taylor was upset that it didn't rain to add a more realistic touch to the proceedings." She settled herself comfortably, preparing to people watch. "Well, would you look at that," she said inclining her head in the direction that she was staring. "We finally get to see Luke and Lorelai together."

Rory came to a dead stop upon hearing Miss Patty's words, her eyes searching the square until she spied her mother and Luke. Lane scanned the crowd until she too picked out them out. They both stood still observing them across the way.

"You've been avoiding me," Luke declared. By his tone, Lorelai knew Luke was making a statement not asking a question.

"Things have been really busy at the Inn," she began feebly.

"Lorelai," he remonstrated. "Just tell me what's going on."

She looked into Luke's eyes and knew she had to tell him the truth. "I'm sorry," she whispered, defeated. "I didn't want to tell you. Rory refuses to speak to me. I haven't spoken to her since she walked out of the house earlier this week."

Luke let out a long breath, thinking furiously. "You haven't seen her at all?" This was really not good. "Is she alright?"

"No," Lorelai admitted brokenly. She wrapped her arms around herself as if she were cold. "She's shutting me out. I just have to wait until she's ready." She looked regretful. "I'm sorry. I avoided you because I didn't want to have to tell you how bad it is."

"So you left me in the dark?" Luke asked harshly. "Lorelai, I gave you your space to work this out. I thought you'd at least extend me the courtesy of keeping me informed about what's going on even if there was nothing to report."

"I didn't want you worrying about this!"

"Not telling me anything has made me worry about this!"

They both paused staring at each other, for the moment, not knowing what to say.

"They're fightin'" Babette commented to Patty.

Standing behind the town gossips, Rory could only watch Luke and her mother, realizing that Babette was right. She could tell from their body language.

"I knew he wasn't telling the truth about Lorelai not coming into the diner this week," Patty agreed.

Rory's eyebrows shot upward as she processed this piece of information. She should've asked Lane to keep her informed on the latest happenings around Stars Hollow. Her mother stopped going to the diner?

"Luke, if we just gave it more time…"

"More time." Luke shook his head. "Lorelai, right now you don't have the time for a relationship. You've got too much going on right now with starting up the Inn and Rory." He hesitated, "Maybe we should take a step back until things are more settled."

"A step back?" Lorelai didn't like the sound of this. "What does that mean?"

"Lorelai, I care for you and Rory, deeply but I can't go on like this," Luke confessed. He didn't see any resolution to their problem anytime soon and he knew he couldn't just wait around. It suddenly occurred to him that the only way to bring some peace and get perspective was go somewhere else for a while. "I need to get away from Stars Hollow and get my head on straight," he blurted out in dawning realization.

Lorelai gripped her arms more tightly. "You're going to leave?" She hadn't expected this reaction. She felt the panic rise in her and she deliberately tamped it down. "For how long?"

"A few weeks, maybe more."

"The test run is in three weeks," she reminded him. "You'll be back in time for that, right?" she pleaded.

Luke briefly closed his eyes for a moment before meeting her gaze squarely and shrugging his shoulders. "I don't know. Right now, I wouldn't count on it."

"Luke, you have to be there!" Lorelai cried, her voice rising. "After all the work you put into helping me with the Inn, you have to be there! It's important to me that you're there! You're supposed to have the people your care about the most with you at a time like this!" She gestured at him. "You're supposed to support people you care about, be there to celebrate their triumphs!"

"Lorelai, its not that I don't care," Luke said gently. "I do care. I have cared. For a very long time, longer than you know."

Lorelai looked at him intently, her eyes questioning.

"What's happened between us in the past few weeks, these are not new feelings for me," Luke said, finally coming clean. The urge to touch her was so strong he had to clench his fists tightly. He could see the question "when?" in her eyes and admitted everything. "Since that first day, that first cup of coffee."

Lorelai let out a gasp of surprise. It seemed like she had known Luke, been friends with him forever. It was only during the last few years that her curiosity had been piqued about him after they started having their "moments" as she like to call them. But to discover that he'd had serious feelings about her since they first met both thrilled and terrified her. She leapfrogged over the question about why he hadn't made a move in all those years. She instinctively knew that they both had needed to be friends first and that neither of them had been ready for a relationship—until now.

"If you care as much as you say, why can't you be at the test run?" she argued. "For me, for us? Please Luke. I know you don't believe me but I DO care about you!"

"I know you do in your own way. But you have a lot going on now with the Inn and Rory," Luke repeated gently. "And even though I'm not asking to be your number one priority in your life, I don't want to be an afterthought. That's all I am to you right now."

A sound of denial burst from Lorelai's lips. She hated that she made him feel like he didn't matter to her. Lorelai was digging her nails into her arms at this point, the pain somehow keeping her tears at bay. He already confessed his feelings for her, but the fact that he was going away to deal with those feelings sounded like a death knell to her ears. What if he decided she was too much work? That he could do better? Yes, she feared him going away and what they would be when he came back.

"I'm so sorry that I made you feel that way. Don't go," she begged.

Luke grimaced, almost caving into her but held firm. "I'm sorry too. But I have too." He gave her a bittersweet smile, still as always, trying to allay her fears. "Don't think this will make me love you less."

Lorelai swallowed the sudden lump that formed in her throat. Luke loved her! And she, by her actions, had made him so miserable that he felt he had to go away. From the look in his eyes, she knew there was nothing more she could say to convince him. His mind was made up.

Without another word, she turned and walked away, inwardly berating herself for ruining yet another relationship, her spirit broken.

"She's walking away," Patty noted.

"God, I wish they'd realize they're perfect for each other," Babette said, bemoaning another missed opportunity. "Look at 'em! He'd give her the stability she needs and she'd liven up his life!"

"I know," Patty agreed. "They'd be so good together. Now that Rory's gone off to college and after that, who knows where, Lorelai will be all alone. What a waste."

Rory's mind reeled as Patty's words sunk into her brain. She thought back to a few short days ago about how upset she was with her mother because Lorelai had abandoned all their rules hadn't put Rory first. She'd been offended that Lorelai hadn't let her know about her and Luke. The epiphany exploded in her mind: she's been so wrong, so self-absorbed to expect Lorelai's life to always revolve around hers.

Suddenly Rory looked back on her years growing up and it dawned on her just how young Lorelai was when she had her. The challenges Lorelai must have faced raising a daughter on her own terms. Rory had many happy childhood memories and no matter how tight money had been or what it cost her mother, she always had everything she needed. Her mother had always put her first. But how much had Lorelai done without? At no time could Rory ever remember an instance where Lorelai ever put herself first. She'd given her all to Rory, never having anything for herself, anyone for herself but Rory. When Rory finally moved out permanently with her own life, job and possibly a man, where would that leave Lorelai? Her mother deserved to be happy now, deserved to have someone to care about her now, not wait until Rory was gone from her everyday life.

It dawned on her that Luke was the perfect choice. He had always been a fixture in their lives and was so ingrained in her memories of the past, so why shouldn't he be a part of the future? He'd always cared deeply not only for Lorelai but herself as well. The special breakfasts and birthday cakes had proved that over the years. Rory knew he loved them both no matter what. Of all the men her mother dated, and her father, the only person she could comfortably picture in their house was Luke. He was already part of their family; they just hadn't known it yet.

She grabbed Lane by the arm and dragged her off out of earshot. "Oh my god, I've been so selfish!" Rory exclaimed mournfully. Her face was ashen.

"What is it?" Lane asked concerned. Rory looked like she was going to be sick. "What's wrong?"

"I've been an idiot!" Rory replied. She looked at her best friend. "Oh god, Lane, I'm so stupid!"

Rory!" Lane repeated. She was worried. Rory

You have to promise not to repeat what I'm about to tell you."

"I won't," Lane swore.

"The reason I've been avoiding my mom for the past week…" Rory still hesitated but realized she should have spoken up sooner. "When I came home the other day, she was with Luke."

"Well, he has been helping her pick out stuff for the Inn," Lane pointed out.

"No," Rory said making sure she inflected the words properly to convey her meaning, "she was with Luke."

"Yeah," Lane agreed, not immediately catching on, "he was probably—Oh my god!" Her eyes were huge. "Do you mean together like…kissing?"

Rory nodded mutely, grateful Lane had jumped to the wrong conclusion. Rory knew what she had walked in on the other day would never be mentioned again.

"Oh my god!" Lane repeated. "This is huge!"

"I know!" Rory said. "And I said such mean to her! I was upset that she hadn't told me and there was this whole unspoken rule about no boys in the house and…well, I left the house and haven't talked to her since! I completely cut her off! She probably thinks I don't approve of her and Luke but I do!" She gestured in their general direction. "She hasn't seen him all week because of me!"

"So that's what he meant!" Lane said, suddenly remembering her earlier conversation with Luke.

"What are you talking about?"

"Luke was the one who gave me the coffee. I was shocked because I knew Lorelai hadn't been in and I couldn't figure out how he knew you were staying with me," Lane explained. "He made this weird comment about that he wasn't going to complicate things."

"Oh no!" Rory moaned. "Luke's going to break it off with my Mom because of me!" Rory frantically searched the throng of people but couldn't see her mother or Luke. She turned back to Lane. "I've got to go see my mother right now before it's too late!"

"Go!" Lane ordered her. "Call me later and let me know what happened!"

~#~

Rory charged up the steps and burst into the house. "Mom!" she called out. She moved through the empty living room and scampered up the stairs. "Mom!" she called out louder.

A quick tour of the house revealed that it was empty. Rory whipped out her cell phone as she stopped in the living room and hit the speed dial for her mother's cell.

"Great, just great," she said aloud but perversely it made sense that after being incommunicado all week, when she was ready, when she needed to speak to Lorelai, her phone was off. It served Rory right for the way she treated her, she thought as she irritably snapped the phone closed. She looked around the quiet empty room, her mind vainly casting about, trying to decide where to look for her mother next. She headed out the door back towards town, walking quickly, spurred on by some unnamed urgency.

She had to fix this.

tbc

Yep, after all this time, I'm being mean. My read throughs on this were kinda quick so if I lapsed anywhere, feel free to PM me.


	12. We Can Work It Out

Reviews? Pretty please?

~#~

We Can Work It Out

Lorelai hesitated before lightly knocking on the door wondering if this was a good idea. She was sure her appearance at a later-than-usual hour would raise some questions, but after walking away from Luke, she was still faced with the prospect of going home to an empty house and she knew she couldn't do it. Rory wasn't speaking to her and Luke was gone. There was only thing left to her at this point.

The door swung open and she inclined her head to look up into a pair of masculine eyes.

"Lorelai!" Jackson said in surprise. He gaped at her. Every time he saw Lorelai, she was always outgoing and vivacious, exuding confidence. He was startled by the woman standing before him now. She appeared withdrawn and clearly troubled, a far cry from her usual self.

"Hey Jackson," Lorelai managed to smile at him feebly. "Can I come in? Is Sookie still awake? I was hoping to go over some stuff for the Inn." All she had left now was The DragonFly. She hoped could focus on that to get her through the mess that was her personal life.

It took a moment for Jackson to register what she had said before he reacted. "Of course! C'mon in. I'll just get Sookie. She's putting Davey to sleep."

"Don't get her," Lorelai stopped him. She already knew it was late and she was imposing. She didn't want to disrupt Davey's bedtime ritual. "I can wait until she's finished."

Jackson motioned her to a chair. "He was almost asleep when I looked in on them a while ago. I'm sure he's down for the night by now."

Lorelai deflated a little in acquiescence and meekly went to sit on the couch as Jackson disappeared.

A few moments later, Sookie appeared. "Lorelai?" she queried in an uncertain tone. She'd been surprised when Jackson had come into Davey's room to let her know that Lorelai was there. She became worried when Jackson urged her to see her immediately because he thought something was very wrong. Looking at her friend, she completely understood why Jackson was concerned.

When Sookie entered the living room, Lorelai stood up. Sookie could see Lorelai was very upset but heroically struggling to contain her feelings. She had her arms wrapped around her, almost as if she were trying to comfort herself.

"Hey Sookie," Lorelai greeted her in what she hoped was a normal tone. She painted a falsely bright smile on her face and launched into her flimsy excuse for being there. "I was thinking," she rushed on, before Sookie could say a word, "and you know what happens when I think. I have a few ideas about some personal touches for the Inn. What do you think about me stitching pillowcases with dragonflies on them? Guests may be impressed that I made the effort to personalize the linens."

Silently, Sookie came up to her and put her hands on Lorelai's arms and guided her back down to the couch before sitting down next to her. Whatever was bothering Lorelai, had gone on long enough. Sookie needed to get to the bottom of it.

"Let me get this straight: you've been running yourself ragged these past weeks trying to get everything ready on time and now you want to take on more work?" she questioned incredulously. "Lorelai, what's wrong? Something is going on with you and its time you got it off your chest." She leaned forward and tentatively laid her hand on Lorelai's forearm. "What is it?"

"It's…" Lorelai took a great gulp of air trying to steady her nerves and behave normally. "It's…" she tried again teetering on the edge. She finally broke. "Oh Sookie, it's awful! Everything is so screwed up!" she sobbed as she covered her face with her hands.

Sookie put her arms around her friend, offering whatever support and comfort she could. She let her cry, letting Lorelai get the first major wave of emotion out of her system before saying anything else.

"Tell me what happened," she finally encouraged her as Lorelai's sobs began to quiet. Sookie hated seeing her like this. She rubbed her back. "Whatever it is we'll find a way to fix it."

Lorelai sniffled, taking deep breaths, fighting to regain control. The desire to get everything off her chest was suddenly so overwhelming. She couldn't keep it in any longer. "It's about Rory," she began.

"She's okay?" Sookie asked urgently, suddenly scared something might have happened to her.

"She's fine, physically fine," Lorelai assured her. "It's just she… and I was…and then Luke…"

"Luke?" Sookie repeated confused. "What's Luke got to do with this?"

Lorelai took another steadying breath knowing she had to come clean about everything from the beginning. "It all started with the bet I made with Luke," she began.

"You mean him having to help out with the Inn? I don't understand."

"Ah, that wasn't the bet exactly," Lorelai said coloring slightly. "The bet was that Luke provide his services wherever needed."

"O-kay," Sookie said struggling to follow along how Rory fit into a casual bet between Luke and Lorelai.

Lorelai twisted her hands. "I thought I was being so clever wording it that way, covering all possible contingencies," she explained. "I rooked him into helping me make decisions on The DragonFly. I played the bet as my trump card to get him to go on the overnight visits with me…"

"Luke went with you to both of the Inns?" Sookie cut in, shocked by this revelation. "Wait, when I joked about making him go you never said a word."

"I changed the subject," Lorelai reminded her, "because I didn't want to get into what happened."

Sookie gazed at Lorelai, waiting for her to continue.

"The concept of 'services' took on a whole new meaning," she explained delicately, blushing more profusely. "We sort of," she took a deep breath, "we sort of did it that first weekend."

"Did what?" Sookie asked, confused.

Lorelai stared at her incredulously. When Sookie didn't react, she merely repeated, "It." Lorelai gazed at her intently, trying to lead her to the obvious conclusion.

It took Sookie a few more seconds before her eyes rounded and her mouth dropped open. "Oh my god!" her voice rose in both pitch and volume and Lorelai immediately shushed her. A million questions popped into Sookie's brain. "You and Luke did it? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Sook, at the time, I thought I was upset about it," Lorelai confessed. "I thought it was just a weak moment, a one-time thing. I was afraid I had wrecked my friendship with Luke." She shifted on the couch uncomfortably, not about to reveal any details. "Everybody in the town has always been pushing me and Luke together. Once we started, um, on a regular basis, it was like an unspoken agreement between us not to say anything …"

"What?!?" Sookie all but shrieked. "You're telling me for the past few weeks you and Luke…?"

"Yeah," Lorelai managed a sad but sweet smile.

"That is so great!" Sookie gushed enthusiastically. Lorelai's crestfallen face made her change her mind. "Isn't it?"

"It was Sookie," Lorelai agreed. "One of the reasons I didn't say anything was I wanted to talk to Rory about it first, in person. She'd been so busy at Yale that we could never find the time to get together so I could tell her." Lorelai blew out a shaky sigh as she went on. "And then earlier this week, Rory came home unexpectedly and found me and Luke together."

"Together?" Sookie questioned. She turned her head slightly as she contemplated Lorelai's words. "Together," she repeated. "You don't mean—"

"That's exactly what I mean," Lorelai confirmed. "We were covered up but we were in bed and there was no mistaking what we were doing."

"Oh wow," Sookie commented hollowly, her mind boggling at the scenario. "What happened?"

"She left the room and I went after her. I tried talking to her but Sook, she was so hurt and angry that I hadn't told her. She left and refuses to talk to me. I haven't spoken to her since. She's not at Yale; she's not at my parents'. I don't know where she is."

"Oh, honey," Sookie commiserated. "What does Luke say about it?"

Lorelai's eyes flooded with tears of shame. "I've kind of been avoiding him since the day it happened."

"Why?" Sookie asked before she could stop herself.

"He originally thought I was stringing him along, sleeping with him because of the bet to keep him helping out with The DragonFly," Lorelai explained. "That day, I persuaded him that wasn't true but I didn't know how to tell him how bad things were with Rory, so I stopped seeing him altogether." She hunched her shoulders recalling this evening's painful confrontation. "I was an idiot not to confide in him, Sookie. Now he's convinced that I'm not ready for a relationship and he's taking off indefinitely, probably to get over it."

"He broke it off?" Sookie's eyed her in disbelief. She couldn't believe Luke would do such a thing let alone leave. She like the rest of the town knew how Luke felt about Lorelai.

"I don't know," Lorelai admitted. "But he's going away tonight to think about it. He's going to realize I'm too much work and that will be it," she said as if it were a foregone conclusion.

"Lorelai, after all these years of wanting you, he's not going to give up so easily," Sookie reassured her. She could see Lorelai's eyes were still clouded with doubt but didn't know how else to convince her. "And Rory," she said trying to point out the reality of the situation, "she had to know some day you would find someone. She didn't expect you to stay single the rest of her life did she?"

"No," Lorelai acknowledged, "but finding me and Luke together in the house? It's always been the two of us. I mean, there was Max, but even though we were going to get married, Rory knew I was having issues with him at the house. There's never been a guy that seriously challenged the no boys rule until now. And Luke is not just some random guy."

"Well, she is used to Luke being around; he's always there fixing something. She already cares about him and has to know he cares about her."

"Yeah," Lorelai sniffed.

"You've got to get in touch with her and talk to her somehow," Sookie reasoned. "I'm sure once she gets over the shock, she'll be all for it. Then you need to talk to Luke."

"He's gone," Lorelai stated mournfully.

"He'll be back," Sookie declared confidently, "and then you can tell him how you feel."

"He told me he loved me," Lorelai remembered suddenly. "Oh god, he told me he loved me and I just walked away from him! He must think I don't care about him at all, that I was just using him!"

Lorelai tears started anew. Sookie hugged her close. Over the years, she'd watched Lorelai fumble through relationships with men. She'd watched Lorelai and Luke dance around each other, neither of them ever crossing that line. She'd seen Lorelai and Rory argue before but never like this. She wracked her brain for anything to say to make the situation seem less dire but she was pretty sure it would take a minor miracle to make things right once again.

~#~

Rory entered the town square for the second time that night. She anxiously scanned the crowd looking for her mother, hoping she would find her. She made a tour of the entire festival with no luck. She was nearing her original starting point when she met up with Lane.

"Rory!" Lane greeted her in surprise. "What happened? What are you doing here?"

"I can't find my mom," Rory fretted. "She wasn't at home and she's not answering her cell. Have you seen her?"

"Not since we saw her before," Lane replied regretfully.

"What about Luke?" Rory asked. "Have you seen him?"

"Not since before," Lane repeated.

They both gazed at the throng of people but neither saw him. By some unspoken word, they both headed in the direction of the diner. They could see that both it and the apartment upstairs were dark.

"Where could he be?" Rory wondered aloud. No sooner were the words out of her mouth than a single light flared behind the counter in the diner. Lane nodded her encouragement and Rory set off for Luke's.

Luke had quickly gotten some clothes and his fishing gear stored in the truck. He had called Cesar and made arrangements for him to run the diner while he was gone. The last thing he needed to do was gather some food for the road even though he wasn't the least bit hungry. He was packing some sandwiches when he heard the knock on the door.

"We're closed," he shouted without turning around.

As the knocking continued, he gritted his teeth. He knew of only one person who was that persistent. He steeled himself for another confrontation then turned around and was momentarily stunned into immobility.

Rory was tapping at the door.

Luke hurried to the door and unlocked it letting her in.

"Rory." Luke literally did not know what to say. This was the first time he'd seen her since Tuesday. He closed the door behind her.

"Is my mom here?" Rory queried.

"No," Luke replied. "I haven't seen her since earlier this evening. Isn't she at home?"

"No, I was just there," Rory said distractedly, clearly upset. "I need to find her. Where can she be?"

"I don't know," Luke answered honestly. He shifted a little uncomfortably, feeling he should say something. "Rory…about the other day—"

"Luke," Rory suddenly snapped out of her fog and focused on him intently. "I'm so sorry about what happened." She noticed a little color darken his cheeks and she felt her own blush as well. "I shouldn't have barged in and then said those things afterward. I never gave her a chance to explain. I was childish and self-centered. Can you forgive me?"

"The question is can you forgive me?" Luke countered. "I know that you always come first with your mom and that's the way it should be. I never meant to come between the two of you and cause trouble."

"You didn't Luke," Rory assured him as she laid a hand on his arm, "Mom should be living her life not baby-sitting me. It's time for her to do something for herself for a change. She should be with you, I know that."

Although Luke was encouraged by her words, he knew he and Lorelai still had issues to resolve. "Rory, your mom and I, well, maybe now isn't the right time for us. She has too much going on right now."

"Luke, no," Rory said guiltily. It would be all her fault if they broke up over this. "I know everything will be okay, if you just come with me talk to Mom."

"Rory," Luke said firmly, "you go find your mom and talk to her." He moved back a few paces, clearly indicating he wasn't about to go with her.

"You won't help me find her?" Rory queried, shocked.

Luke blew out a breath. For a second, Rory sounded like a little lost girl and the urge to give in and go with her was almost overpowering but he stood his ground. "You don't need me to find her. I'm sure she will be home soon."

"I need you to come with me," she pleaded.

"Rory, you have to talk to Lorelai alone," he advised her. "You need to tell her what's going on with you, with school," he paused. "You need to spend time with her. I know she's really missed you these past weeks. All she needs is you."

"No, Luke," she disagreed. She would make it right between her and her mother, but it was equally important that she fix things between her mother and Luke. She gave him her best pleading look coupled with her best pout hoping to sway him. "Please?"

Luke stared at Rory, recognizing all the tricks that Lorelai had used on him since the day they met, struggling to remain firm.

~#~

Lorelai sat on the couch, clutching a pillow. When she finally screwed up her courage to leave Sookie's and come home, Sookie packed a quick care package of comfort food to tide her over. A huge piece of her seven-layer chocolate torte sat on the coffee table untouched.

Try as she might, Lorelai couldn't stop herself from crying. She thought with all the tears she'd shed already she wouldn't be able to cry anymore, but her tears continued to quietly trickle down her cheeks as she relived her confrontation with Rory and then the one tonight with Luke. At the rate she was going, she was afraid she'd ruin every close relationship she had and truly be alone.

Lorelai cocked her head, thinking she heard the sound of the front door opening but sure her mind was playing tricks on her. The next moment proved her wrong.

"Mom?" Rory called out. "Are you here?"

Lorelai rose from the couch and turned just as Rory came through the archway.

"Mom!" Rory rushed towards her, throwing her arms around her mother. "Oh, Mom, I'm so sorry about everything."

Lorelai squeezed Rory tightly, rejoicing that she was holding her daughter, her best friend in her arms once again. "Hey, kiddo," she said in a shaky voice. "I am so glad to see you." She let out a huge sigh of relief, suddenly re-energized just by the physical contact with her daughter. "And you don't have to apologize for a thing. I'm the one who should be apologizing to you. I wasn't honest with you about what was going on and I broke all of our rules when I brought a boy into the house. I should have told you." She pulled back a little so she could see Rory's face. "Can you forgive me?"

"Mom, its okay," Rory reassured her. "Really."

"Still it was a crappy way for you to find out," Lorelai chastised herself. Her mother's intuition kicked in as she set aside her own guilt for the moment to focus on her daughter's welfare. "You came home that day because something was wrong, didn't you?"

Rory's eyes fell, knowing it was time for her to reveal everything. "I had to drop a class. My professor and my advisor pretty much told me I had too. I guess I can't hack the workload. I'm sorry." She hung her head in embarrassment at her failure.

"Rory!" Lorelai gently remonstrated. "There's no shame in dropping a class! For weeks now I've been so worried about you; you've been so overworked. It's not like you aren't still going to be carrying a full load!"

"But Grandpa was able to handle it. I should've been able to too."

"Honey," Lorelai said as she stroked Rory's hair. "The only person you need to measure up to is yourself. I want you to get a great education and get good grades but I want you to have fun at Yale too. You need to follow your own rules. You're just as good as or better than your Grandpa," Lorelai declared. "I'm sure he'll agree."

They hugged once again then Rory drew back. "Speaking of rules, I think its time to change the house rules too. Mom, you and Luke would be so good together. Again I'm so sorry about the other day. Now that I've thought about it, I'm more than okay with it. Not the walking in part but the rest of it. Luke is perfect for you! I'm so happy for you guys!"

Lorelai released Rory and turned away, her high spirits at having her daughter back plummeting. "Thank you for your stamp of approval, but it looks like the concept of me and Luke is just a pipe dream." She let out a ragged breath. "I screwed up big-time with him. I didn't tell him we weren't talking. God, I didn't tell him how much I care about him." Her mouth trembled as she gave Rory a watery look, her eye full of tears. "I'm afraid it might be over."

"It'll never be over, Lorelai," Luke said.

Lorelai turned to see Luke framed in the archway. He'd hung back outside, giving Rory the much-needed alone time with Lorelai, the chance for both mother and daughter to make amends before making his presence known. He took in her tear-stained face, her wide eyes, her mouth open in astonishment.

"Luke?" she breathed, certain her mind was playing tricks with her. Their eyes locked, they both stood motionless, staring at one another.

"When I couldn't find you earlier, I went to see Luke," Rory explained, her gaze swinging back and forth between the two of them. "I persuaded him to come back with me."

The spell that had them frozen in place broke and Luke hurried made his way into the living room as Lorelai rushed towards him. They met and were instantly in one another's arms, holding each other like they'd never let go.

"Luke," Lorelai started to cry again. "I've been such an idiot." She pulled back slightly and grabbed handfuls of his flannel, gazing at him intently. "You mean so much to me. I want you to know you are a priority in my life," she declared, one hand going up to caress his cheek. "I do love you. I should have told you that before when you said it. I love you. I love—"

"Sshh, it's alright." Luke's mouth covered hers and for a moment they melted together. Rory smiled, watching for a moment, before averting her eyes. The next moment, Luke and Lorelai drew apart, remembering Rory was present.

"Okay," Rory said brightly. "I can see my work is done here. I think I'm going to spend the night at Lane's and you two can, ah, continue what you were doing."

"Rory, no," Lorelai protested.

"Don't leave," Luke chimed in.

"We need to talk more about Yale," Lorelai reminded her.

"We will Mom," Rory promised. "I'll be back tomorrow and we can go to Luke's for breakfast and we can talk all about it but for now, I'm good, I swear." Rory realized in that moment she really was good, that her words weren't just lip service. She had survived the trauma, dropped her class and was still studying hard at Yale. Somehow she'd manage to deal with the situation in spite of everything.

Rory walked over to Lorelai and gave her a hard hug. As they separated, Lorelai hung onto to her daughter for a moment and looked hard at her, studying her. She could see by the look in Rory's eyes that she really was okay and knew that they definitely would talk. She could also tell Rory was determined to give her and Luke the chance to make everything right between them. Lorelai loosened her grasp and let her go.

Rory then stepped up quickly to Luke and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. She grinned when she noticed Luke's cheeks pinken slightly. "I'll see you guys tomorrow," she waved as she headed out the door. "Good night!"

"I knew I should've let her come back alone," Luke said apologetically. He looked at Lorelai. "You two should talk."

Lorelai laid a hand on his arm. It was amazing that after a short conversation, how relieved she felt and how her confidence was restored in the certainty that she and Rory would be alright. Lorelai squeezed Luke's arm. "It's okay," she assured him. She ran her fingers down his arm and took his hand. "I think we need to talk though."

"Okay," Luke said, squeezing her hand in return, "let's talk."

"I'm so sorry for everything," Lorelai regretfully. "For tricking you into helping with The DragonFly, for my crazy behavior after we spent our first night together, for making you think I was only sleeping with you because of that stupid bet—"

"It ended last night you know," Luke informed her. "The bet."

"Good." Lorelai replied. "I don't want there to be any confusion about why I'm sleeping with you."

Luke set his hands on her waist. "So why are you sleeping with me?" he asked.

"Hmmm. Maybe because I love you," Lorelai pretended to ponder, sliding her hands up his chest and around his neck. "I'll have to keep telling you that."

"Only tell me?" Luke queried. He was becoming increasingly aware that they had the house to themselves. He knew they'd talk more but he had already heard enough to know Lorelai was truly in the relationship, that she wanted to be with him. Suddenly he was more interested in the way her soft curves molded to his body.

Lorelai smirked at him. "I'd rather show you," she admitted as she pulled his mouth down to meet hers.

They spent long breathless moments passionately kissing, neither holding anything back.

"Wow," Luke gasped as they came up for air.

"You ain't seen nothin' yet, Mister," Lorelai promised as she stepped away from him. She slipped her hand into his much-larger one and gave it a little tug as she moved to the stairs. He trailed after her, without hesitation and they quickly ascended the steps.

Lorelai led Luke into her bedroom, closing the door behind them, leaning against it and giving him a sultry smile. Her hands went to her blouse as she easily undid the buttons. Luke watched her almost hypnotically, his own hands moving of their own accord, making quick work of his flannel shirt before drawing his t-shirt over his head.

Lorelai pushed away from the door, tossing her blouse aside. She laid her hand flat on Luke's chest, splaying her fingers as she slid her hand upward to cup his cheek. She relaxed against him, the warmth of skin on skin making her lacy bra seem non-existent. They kissed deeply.

Luke's hands slid down to cup her ass, pulling her into his body, letting her feel how much he wanted her. As they drew apart, his hands glided around her waist to the fastening on her pants. Following his lead, Lorelai dropped her hands to the waistband of his jeans and deftly undid the button before slowly drawing down his zipper, skimming his erection,

They drew apart completely to finish the task the other started and removed the rest of their clothing. Luke stood and admired Lorelai, his hand reaching out to cup her breast. Lorelai closed her eyes as a shiver of anticipation shot through her body. She opened her eyes and maneuvered around him until his back was to her bed. Using her fingertips, she lightly pressed him backwards. When Luke came in contact with the mattress, he fell back and positioned himself on the bed.

It was Lorelai's turn to admire Luke. Her eyes sparkled wickedly as she took in his passion-darkened eyes then traveled down his heaving chest then further down to his engorged manhood.

"Hmmm," she said speculatively, remembering the last time they were together. "Now where were we when we were so rudely interrupted?"

With one swift movement she threw her leg over him and with erring accuracy, sank down on him.

"Right about here," Luke managed to gasp. His fingertips were lightly resting on her ribcage as he flicked his thumbs over her hardened nipples.

"Thank god we didn't lose our place," she moaned. She felt his hands span her waist momentarily before they moved lower to grip her hips as he thrust upward. Lorelai easily, almost lasciviously rode Luke's shaft, savoring the way he filled her.

They missed each other too much though, eagerly wanted everything at once rather than take the time to go slowly. Lorelai undulated her body, hearing him grunt as she spurred him on, greedily reveling in the pleasure he was giving her while leaving herself completely open, offering all that she had. All she knew were that his quickening plunges were sending her out of her world and that the burning desire in his eyes kept her anchored to it.

Lorelai flung her head back, shouting Luke's name as she shattered under the onslaught of his ardor. Seconds later, his shout echoed her as he went over the precipice himself, maintaining the pace longer than she thought possible and continuing on as she gradually descended back to earth.

Lorelai pitched forward clutching his upper torso, spent, breathing heavily, her cheek pressed against Luke's chest, feeling the trip-hammer beat of his heart calm to a normal rhythm. Luke tightened his arms around Lorelai's back, relax and content, holding onto the perfect moment.

They lay quietly for a long time. Lorelai snuggled her cheek into his chest, the fine hairs tickling her noise. Her lips curved in a smile as his hands gently combed through her hair and she felt him occasionally press his lips to the top of her head. Finally she had to move. She wanted to look into his eyes.

"Hey," she said softly, tracing her fingertip along the side of his face, delighting in the stubble. "That was pretty amazing."

"Yeah it was," he agreed as he tucked her hair behind her ear. He tenderly eased her down next to him on the bed to give her legs a rest then turned to her, their faces just inches apart.

"You are an amazing guy," Lorelai whispered, her fingers lightly touching his face, his shoulders, his arms. "I don't think I ever told you that before but I am so lucky to have you."

He shrugged deprecatingly slightly embarrassed by her praise. His fingers lightly stroked her satiny skin.

"I am lucky," she insisted softly stating her case. "Not only do you keep me fed, you put up with my crazy antics…"

"Antics?" he repeated.

"Antics," she confirmed. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have gotten The DragonFly put together." Lorelai's eyes were shining, "But most of all, you make me feel so safe, so secure. I think I could do anything as long as I have you by my side," she confessed tremulously. "I wanted you to know all this." Her hands were holding his face, looking deeply into his eyes so he could see the sincerity of her words.

"You don't have to say all this," Luke told her.

"Yes I do," she declared before her eyes dropped. "And I kind of feel you are getting the short end of the stick in this relationship. I don't do nearly enough for you."

"Ah, but you do," Luke rebuked her gently. "Do you have any idea what you bring to my life?" He lifted her chin so she had to meet his steady gaze. "Every time you walk into the diner, my day gets one hundred percent better. Just having you there, hell seeing you anywhere in town makes me feel alive. Before I met you, I was stuck in a dull routine. With you, I never know what to expect and I like it. Even though you sometimes participate in the lunacy that is this town…"

"Hee."

"You also understand and go along with my need to mock it." His hands moved away from her face and he put his arms around her and drew her closer. "You're a good friend, you have a good heart and I'm constantly in awe of what an incredible job you did raising Rory alone." Luke lightly massaged her back, his hands moving slowly, mapping her skin as she gave a little sigh of contentment. "You're so beautiful," he breathed, "and I consider myself the luckiest guy in the world to be with you."

"I think I'm the lucky one," she said softly. "Sometimes I feel like shouting it out loud."

"Good. Because I don't want to sneak around anymore," he told her honestly. "We've done enough of that over the past few weeks. I want to be able to go out with you in public and let people know you're mine, the hell with this town."

"Oh Luke, I want that too," Lorelai breathed as she kissed him.

Luke parted her lips with his and their tongues met as they explored each other. Their hands joined in the fun as light touches became soft caresses. Luke delicately stroked her chest, covering her firm mounds and trailing his fingers to her hardened peaks. His mouth dipped to her breasts, his tongue swirling around her nipples. Lorelai's breath hitched, overcome by waves of desire.

Luke hands continued their journey downward, lightly running his fingertips along her ribs before sliding around her hips to cup and massage her rear.

Lorelai was equally busy, her hands exploring ever inch of Luke's chest, feeling his heart pound, his body surging with desire—only for her. Luke snared her lips with his own, his tongue thrusting into her mouth to be met with her own. As their lips fused together, Lorelai's hands moved lower, one hand playing with his balls, the other fondling his shaft from base to tip. Luke groaned into her mouth before pulling back.

Luke nudged Lorelai onto her back and stared down at the dark-haired beauty who had captured his very soul. Her hair was fanned out on the pillow; her eyes took on a deep smoky hue. He could feel her spreading her legs for him as she ran her fingers through his hair. Then her arms entwined around his neck, pulling him back down for another taste of her soft lips.

Luke eased himself between her thighs, his tip brushing her damp folds. He gazed deeply into her pleading eyes. What had started as quiet pillow talk had mushroomed into a hungering need that either of them could deny.

As Luke tentatively thrust into her wet opening, she let out a little sob of pleasure. He had intended to pull out to tease her but found once he was inside her, he couldn't leave the warm, wet nest. He pushed into her with a long, steady stroke, feeling her muscles tremble around him.

"Oh god, you feel so good," Lorelai moaned. "Don't stop, Luke."

"I won't," he gasped as her muscles coiled along his length. "Oh god."

They set a slow, leisurely pace, enjoying every sigh, every ounce of desire until their tarrying rhythm blotted out everything but the need to satisfy each other. Lorelai raked her nails down Luke's back before grabbing the firm mounds his ass and holding him deeply embedded inside her. Her body throbbed, in sync with his pulsating shaft and suddenly they couldn't move quickly enough as the raw passion consumed them, lifting them to blissful heights. They surged together over and over again, completely surrendering to the sheer ecstasy.

It was much later after a slow flutter back to the bed that Luke finally withdrew. He wrapped his arms around Lorelai as she snuggled close to him. She was slipping away but managed a sleepy "I love you," before she dropped off altogether.

"I love you too," Luke whispered to her sleeping form. Even though he knew she was asleep, her mouth curved in a contented smile as if she'd heard him. By slow degrees he relaxed and drifted off holding Lorelai securely in his arms.

~#~

Lorelai stretched lazily, smiling, her eyes slowly opening to greet the day. She realized she had slept better than she had all week and the reason why instantly came flooding back to her. She turned over, tucking the sheet under her arms and looked over at the other side of the bed.

Luke lay on his back, eyes closed, sleeping. Her grin got broader. He was still there. It hadn't been a dream. She gingerly eased closer to him, careful not to wake him and propped her head up on her hand, studying him.

His hair was still tousled from last night when she'd run her fingers through his hair. His eyelashes, unfairly long, were fanned on his cheeks. The much-loved stubble was even more pronounced this morning. His mouth was relaxed and for the moment, she suppressed the urge to kiss him awake.

Lorelai let her eyes roam down his chest to where the sheet rested, before returning her gaze to his face.

"Stop staring at me," Luke said without opening his eyes.

Lorelai let out a little start of surprise. "You're awake!"

"Of course I'm awake," Luke replied. "I normally get up at quarter to five in the morning. I've been awake for a while." He finally opened his eyes.

"Uh huh," she said playing along, "and what were you doing all that time?"

Luke actually blushed a little realizing he was busted.

"You were watching me too!" Lorelai declared with a laugh.

Luke merely shrugged, neither confirming nor denying her words. He drank in the sight of her, hair slightly disheveled from their lovemaking last night, her gaze bright and happy.

Lorelai cuddled even closer to Luke, her head still propped on one hand and laid the other one on his chest. "I could get used to this," she admitted in a low loving voice.

"Me too," Luke whispered as he covered her hand with his own.

Lorelai sighed. "I don't think anything could spoil this perfect moment."

The words had barely left her mouth when the door swung open and Rory walked in. "Mom are you—ah jeez."

Rory immediately did an about-face and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind her. She'd come in and left so quickly that Luke and Lorelai didn't have time to react.

There was a timid knock on the door.

"Gah!" Lorelai said loudly, looking down at Luke apologetically. She knew Rory was standing outside the door so she raised her voice to make sure it carried even though there was no real anger in her voice. "I do my best to raise my kid right, teach her respect and manners. You would think that even if I missed something, either that fancy prep school or the ritzy college would teach her how to knock!"

"I'm sorry," Rory bleated out plaintively. "I thought Luke would already be at the diner. I swear from this day forward, no matter what time it is, no matter if I know for a fact you are alone, I will knock!"

"I'm sure I taught you how!"

"Again, late morning and Luke's usually at the diner," Rory said in her defense.

"Rory," Luke called out, interrupting their bickering. "Why don't you go wait downstairs and we'll be down in about twenty minutes and then we'll all go to the diner."

"Okay," Rory agreed. A few seconds later, they heard Rory heading down the steps, making enough noise to let them know she had left. Luke blew out a long breath, grateful he and Lorelai hadn't been caught again in a compromising position.

"I'm so sorry," Lorelai apologized.

"We should probably start locking the door," Luke suggested.

"There's no lock," Lorelai countered.

"I'll put one on today," he offered.

"You gotta deal," Lorelai agreed. She pouted as it dawned on her that they would have to get up.

"C'mon," Luke coaxed, understanding her frustration but knowing they had no choice. "Let's get dressed."

It was closer to a half an hour when they finally came downstairs. Rory was pacing back and forth in front of the couch. She colored slightly when she saw them.

"I am so, so sorry," she began.

"We'll get better at this," Luke assured her. "Let's go to the diner for breakfast."

"Wow, you weren't kidding when you said you want to go public," Lorelai commented in surprise.

"I'm tired of sneaking around," Luke answered. "The longer we cover it up, the worse it will be when they finally find out."

"Okay," Lorelai stated, nodding in agreement. "Luke's it is. Let's go."

Lorelai grabbed her purse and followed Luke and Rory out the front door and down the steps. With Rory leading the way, Luke and Lorelai crossed the lawn. Their hands brushed up against each other and their fingers twined together. Lorelai moved closer to Luke as he smiled down at her.

Babette's door opened and Babette herself stepped out onto her porch in a robe, obviously having just woken up. She stood there and yawned.

"Hi Babette!" both Gilmore girls chorused.

"Oh hey dolls," Babette squinted at them, clearly not awake yet. Per usual, she had imbibed a little too much of Patty's party punch at the festival the night before. "How's it goin?" she asked automatically before noticing the third person of their group. "Oh Luke, I didn't see ya. You guys must be heading for the diner," she said as the girls waved at her. "Kinda early for you to be over ain't it Luke?" she asked as they walked past her, without interrupting her running commentary. "Not that there's anything wrong with that," Babette rambled on, staring at them, suddenly noticing one very important detail. "Are you…" her eyes popped as she stared at their retreating forms, finally registering the fact the Luke and Lorelai were holding hands.

They were almost out of sight when all of a sudden they heard a loud, "Oh my gawd! Morey, get me the phone!" Both Luke and Lorelai winced at the volume of Babette's voice.

Lorelai glanced over at Luke. "Well you did say it was time everyone knew."

"Yeah," Luke agreed, "and from the volume of her voice I think she just told the whole town."

Lorelai chuckled in agreement as they continued on their way. As they approached the town square, they knew Babette had wasted no time. They could see Patty coming down the studio steps and hurriedly flouncing towards the diner. Kirk was sprinting across the town square and Andrew was locking up the bookstore and joined up with Gypsy who was walking by. Even Taylor hustled out of the market and headed towards the diner.

When they walked in, all conversation ceased. As packed as the place was, there was one lone table, conspicuously empty in the middle of the diner.

"I guess we're the floor show today," Lorelai quipped. The three of them made their way to the table, ignoring all of the pointed stares. Lorelai and Rory picked up menus.

The diner chimed as Babette rushed into the diner, struggling to finish buttoning up her blouse. Out of breath, she sat with Patty at her table.

"I miss anythin'?" she squawked.

"Not yet," Patty said in a low voice that still managed to carry.

Lorelai looked around the diner at the expectant faces, all waiting for something to happen. She smiled looked down at her menu but when she raised her head a few minutes later, she noticed that everyone was still staring.

"What'll you have?" Luke questioned.

"Blueberry pancakes," Rory decided.

"Jack omelet with bacon and bacon on the side," Lorelai put a hand out to stop him. "And a good morning kiss, please."

Luke's eyebrows shot up. "I kissed you this morning," he pointed out, a little embarrassed at having this conversation in front of Rory.

"True," Lorelai agreed, "but," she waved her hand around the diner, "they aren't going to stop staring unless we give them a little something." She looked up at him slyly. "You wanted to go public," she reminded him.

Luke cast his eyes about the diner at the townies, who were just cowed enough to drop their gazes from his glare only to bring their attention right back to them once he had passed on to the next person.

"I'm not into public displays of affection," Luke cautioned her. Lorelai waited patiently, pouting at him prettily and he realized she was right. They would have no peace from the townies until they had something to talk about.

"I'll be right back with your food," he said before leaning down to give Lorelai a quick soft kiss on the mouth. As the diner erupted with cheers, he straightened up and glowered at the assembly. "If you're gonna sit around my diner, you better order," he warned them.

He turned and headed towards the kitchen as he heard voices from all corners call for Lane to place their orders.

A short time later, Luke emerged with plates of food for the three of them and sat down for the first time to have breakfast with Lorelai and Rory. He sat back while they chatted about nonsensical things, laughed at themselves and followed their fast-paced banter. He felt perfectly at ease throwing out comments from time-to-time, sometimes having them gang up on him, other times joking along with him.

Lorelai drained her coffee cup. "Well, as much as I'd like to stay here all day, I have to check at the Inn," she smiled at both Luke and Rory. "You guys want to come with me?"

"Sure," Rory responded. "It's been ages since I've been there. I can't wait to see what progress you've made."

"It's really coming together," Lorelai informed her. She looked to Luke. "Care to be the third musketeer? Or maybe mouseketeer?"

Luke grinned but shook his head. "No, you and Rory go off to the Inn and spend some quality time together."

"Aw, Luke you have to come," Lorelai protested.

"Yeah, Luke," Rory urged him. "Please come with us." She tried to use her pout on him again.

This time Luke stood firm. "Go. Talk. Have fun," he insisted. At Lorelai's questioning look, he reached over and took her hand. "You guys need this. I'll see you both later."

"You promise?" Lorelai asked.

"Tell you what, I can make us dinner at the house and we can spend the evening together," Luke offered.

"Ooooh, maybe we can have a movie night!" Lorelai clapped her hands.

Luke rolled his eyes. "Oh joy."

As they stood up and collected there things to leave, Lorelai pulled Luke aside. "You really will come over tonight won't you?" she asked tentatively.

Luke leaned in close so only she could hear. "You can bet on it."

Lorelai was still laughing as she and Rory walked out the door.

Epilogue

Lorelai scurried around the Inn in full-blown panic mode. It had been a crazy three weeks getting everything ready in time. Today was the day. The test run. After Rory finished up at Yale, she'd spent all her free time pitching in, helping wherever she could. She was putting flowers on the table while Sookie polished glasses for the place settings. Everyone else was busily putting the last touches in all areas of the Inn. Everything was just about ready except for one thing—no doors.

Lorelai stressed and fretted as she listened to Tom explain about the scenic route they were taking to get there and then suddenly they arrived.

"Tom, I'm loving you like a two-dollar whore," Lorelai declared.

"Terrific, I'll tell the wife," came the deadpan reply.

Lorelai ushered her staff out to the front porch to greet her guests and hopefully give Tom and his staff time to install the doors without letting anyone know they weren't ready. As her guests disembarked, Tom unfortunately announced they were unloading the doors.

As she checked guests in, Lorelai pretended having everyone follow their doors to their rooms was all part of the inaugural Inn experience. Most of them accepted her quirky bit good-naturedly with Miss Patty giving the man who carried her door a complete head-to-toe inspection, pausing at the base of the stairs to watch the unsuspecting target walk up the steps.

Then Luke walked over the threshold, clutching a bouquet of flowers. Since this was his first time there with the Inn completely finished, he paused a moment, taking in the décor, recognizing all the fabrics, furniture, rugs and hardware he had helped select.

Lorelai approached him, giddy to see him and breathless to see his reaction to everything. Her dream to open her own Inn was coming true, and she'd put a lot of herself into it. But she realized The DragonFly was not just her, it was Luke too and it was the two of them together. Luke had put as much of himself into the place. She just reached him when she noticed the flowers he held and a flush of pleasure went through her.

"These are for you, a little congratulation," Luke said as he presented her with the flowers.

Lorelai was flustered. It wasn't that they hadn't squeezed in whatever time they could around her schedule at the Inn but the unexpected sweet gesture completely scattered her senses. "Oh my god they're beautiful, thank you," she said accepting the bouquet. She completely zoned out for a moment, so overwhelmed by him.

"Um, well okay, so we should get you all uh checked in," she said finally, completely forgetting where the front desk was, "and that's… over there."

"You okay?" Luke asked, slightly confused.

"Oh god, yeah. Me? I'm totally fine," she said trying to play it cool. She turned towards the desk and walked face-first into a passing door.

"Lorelai!" Luke reached for her, concerned she might have hurt herself.

"Oh god I'm fine, no problem. That was your door so you can just follow that on up. Rory?" Lorelai beckoned her, hopefully to save her from doing anything else stupid. Rory came forward with the key.

"My door, huh?" He watched the door being carried upstairs then gave her a look.

Lorelai barely managed to collect her wits but she understood exactly what he was thinking. Had she not waffled on her choice of doors, she would have had them installed weeks ago. She gave him a pretty shrug and he just shook his head as he started up the steps.

"We'll see you at dinner," she called after him. "Don't be late."

Luke turned halfway up the steps and gazed down at the mischievous face he loved so much. She gave him an exaggerated wink. He rolled his eyes in response but couldn't keep the smile off his face and he winked back before continuing up the stars.

Lorelai grinned goofily at Rory, who was beaming with happiness. Lorelai nodded, remembering she had an Inn full of guests and a man upstairs who loved her.

Yep, it was all going to work.

The End.

Oh. My. God. It took forever to finish but I am done! This story in its three forms has taken two years to get through! Thank you all for your patience, especially with the long delays. Your reviews, support, pleas for updates and threats have kept me going!

I had made a bargain with myself that I had to finish this before registering for the September Support Stacie Auction. Well, I'm done so I can register now! Here comes the shameless begging—Bid on me! I am going to make cookies again for the winner! For those of you who have never participated, it's a great cause and has a ton of terrific authors in many different forums, though why anyone would pick anything other than Gilmore Girls, I have no idea!

Here's the link. Take out the asterisk before you past the URL. */phpbb/


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